Owaisi's provocative remarks angered shooters, says UP police

The police in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh's Hapur on Friday arrested the second suspect involved in the firing on AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi's car, officials said. 

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief's vehicle came under attack in Hapur while he was returning to Delhi after attending election-related events in western Uttar Pradesh on Thursday evening, a week before assembly polls begin in the state.

No one was injured in the incident.

While Shubham, a native of Nakur in Saharanpur, was arrested on Friday, another accused -- Sachin -- hailing from Badalpur in Gautam Buddh Nagar was arrested on Thursday.

The accused have told te police that they were triggered by the "provocative" statements of Owaisi and his party members because of which they planned the attack, officials claimed.

The police said they have lodged an FIR for attempt to murder in the case and the accused duo has been remanded in judicial custody.

Two pistols were seized from their possession and a Maruti Alto car has also been impounded in connection with the case, police said.

Hapur Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhukar said the police have arrested both the accused on the basis of CCTV camera footage.

"During interrogation, both the accused said they were angry at the provocative statements of Owaisi and his party functionaries and to express their annoyance, they carried out the incident," the officer claimed.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Sarvesh Mishra said both were produced in the chief judicial magistrate's court on Friday under tight security from where they were sent to jail.

The FIR has been lodged at the Pilakhua police station under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) and section 7 of the Criminal Amendment Act, the police said.