Fired with intent to kill Owaisi, says attacker Sachin Pandit

The man who shot at the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, on Thursday, has said that he shot at the MP’s car with the intention to kill.

The accused, identified as Sachin Pandit, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told the police during the investigation that he shot at the MP’s convoy with the intent to kill him, however, Owaisi escaped unhurt, reported India Today.

Pandit who aimed to become an influential political leader was upset after hearing Owaisi’s speeches and conspired to kill the latter, alongside his aid Shubham.

Sachin’s confessed to the crime during police interrogation saying, “When I fired at Owaisi, he bent down. I fired downwards and thought he had been shot. Then I ran,” reported India Today.

Sachin also confessed that the plan to kill Owaisi had been in the works for several days. He has also said that they had constantly monitored and tracked Owaisi’s movement through his social media, attended many of his meetings, looking out for a chance to attack the MP, but failed due to large crowds.

“When I got to know he would be travelling from Meerut to Delhi, I reached the tollgate before him and fired as soon as the car arrived,” he said during police interrogation.

Pandit acquired the weapon from a seller in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut. The seller, Taleem, who has been taken into custody by the police was unaware of Pandit’s intentions.

Asaduddin Owaisi was in poll-bound UP’s Meerut for campaigning on Thursday, when two people, Sachin and Shubham, now arrested, attacked Owaisi and fired bullets on his convoy when he was leaving Meerut’s Kithoudh area for Delhi. The incident took place near Chhajarsi toll plaza.

Owaisi and others escaped unhurt, however, his car got punctured which led him to leave the place in another vehicle.