A chilling daylight attack has shaken the Bairagarh area of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, after a cloth trader was stabbed barely 100 metres from the local police station on Monday morning. The assault took place just as the market was coming to life with its usual morning bustle. The attackers moved with such speed that they stabbed the trader five times within just 3 seconds. The blow was so deep that the knife tore through his back and went straight into his lung. The injured trader remains in critical condition and is currently undergoing treatment in the ICU of a hospital.
Attacked on his scooter moments after opening his shop
The injured man has been identified as Neeraj Janiyani, who runs two shops, Renu Shree Textiles and Laxmi Textiles, behind the old Seva Sadan Netra Chikitsalaya in Bairagarh. Around 11:30 am on Monday, Neeraj arrived to open his shop as usual, accompanied by his father, Bhagwandas Janiyani. After unlocking the shutter, Neeraj sat down on his Activa scooter parked outside. At that very moment, two unidentified young men were seen walking towards him from the direction of the Bairagarh police station. Without any exchange of words, the two launched a direct assault on Neeraj, stabbing him repeatedly with a knife within seconds. The attack unfolded so fast that Neeraj had no chance to defend himself.
Trader ran for his life as attackers fled towards Sainik Colony
Bleeding profusely, Neeraj summoned the courage to run nearly 20 feet ahead in a desperate bid to save himself. The sudden attack triggered panic in the market, with nearby shopkeepers and passersby rushing to the spot. Seeing the crowd gather, the two attackers fled on foot towards Sainik Colony. The incident spread fear across the locality, given that it unfolded in broad daylight, close to a police station, and in a crowded market area. Local shopkeepers have also expressed anger that the attackers managed to strike and escape so easily despite being so close to the police station.
CCTV reveals accused scouted the area a day earlier, police intensify search
After the attack, police scanned footage from CCTV cameras around the area, which revealed a startling detail. The footage showed that the accused had scouted the same area a day before the attack, around 5 pm on Sunday evening. This indicates the assault was not a random act but one that had been planned in advance. As soon as the incident was reported, Bairagarh police station in-charge Ashok Gautam rushed to the spot with his team. He inspected the crime scene closely and has intensified the search to track down the accused. Police are now scanning CCTV footage from the surrounding areas and questioning local residents to identify the attackers, so that both accused can be arrested at the earliest.
