Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad shot at in UP's Saharanpur

Police said a bullet brushed past him and he has been taken to a nearby hospital.

Bhim Army founder and firebrand Dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad alias 'Ravan' had a narrow escape when unidentified car-borne assailants fired at him in Deoband in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district, about 500 kilometres from here, while he was returning home after attending a religious function at a party worker's house on Wednesday.

According to the police sources here, two bullets were fired at the Azad Samaj Party (ASP) president, who was sitting in his SUV, of which one grazed his waist while the other missed him and hit the back door.

Chandrashekhar was rushed to the community health centre (CHC), where he received treatment, sources said.

Police officials said in Saharanpur that the assailants were in a car bearing Haryana number plate. ''We are investigating the incident... we are yet to ascertain the motive behind the attack,'' a senior police official said in Saharanpur.

The Bhim Army founder said that his supporters, who were with him in the SUV, had recognised the assailants. ''The attackers fled toward Saharanpur after firing the shots,'' he said, quoting his supporters.

Sources said that there were four attackers in the car from which shots were fired at Chandrashekhar. The police were trying to identify the attackers with the help of the CCTV footage.

ASP leader Pawan Gurjar said that firing at Chandrashekhar was part of a 'conspiracy' and demanded a thorough probe into the incident. ''The incident is reflective of the poor law and order situation in UP,'' he added.

Chandrashekhar's outfit had a considerable following among the Dalit community in several western UP districts including Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Shamli and Meerut.