Uttarakhand Congress MLA’s son, who was seriously injured in an attack four days ago, had allegedly orchestrated the assault himself after colluding with his friend, police said on Thursday (January 22, 2026).
They said the revelation came to light after four accused were arrested in connection with the matter.
Son of Congress MLA Tilakraj Behar, Saurabh Raj, who is also a councillor, was attacked in the Awas Vikas area of Rudrapur on January 18. Three masked assailants on a two-wheeler allegedly attacked Mr. Raj with sticks and rods, seriously injuring him. He was admitted to the ICU for several hours.
After getting a whiff of the development, Mr. Raj allegedly absconded and is being searched for.
Mr. Raj is a councillor in the Rudrapur Municipal Corporation in Udham Singh Nagar district.
Udham Singh Nagar district Senior Superintendent of Police Manikant Mishra said that four accused — Vansha Kumar, Badshah, Deepak Singh and Saurabh’s friend Inder Narang, who allegedly planned the attack with him — have been arrested.
He said that all the accused have been booked under charges of criminal conspiracy.
Since the attack, the police were under immense pressure to arrest the accused.
However, Mr. Mishra said that a shocking revelation came to light on the intervening night of Wednesday (January 21) and Thursday (January 22), when police, during the investigation, apprehended three armed youths on a motorcycle without a number plate on Sidkul Road.
According to police, two illegal pistols, a live cartridge and a knife were recovered from these youths. During questioning, they revealed that the attack on Mr. Raj was not the result of any enmity but a conspiracy hatched by the councillor himself.
Due to a dispute with his wife, Mr. Raj had asked his friend, Narang, to orchestrate an attack on him to gain sympathy.
Commenting on the matter, former Cabinet Minister Behar said that he was deeply shocked by his son’s actions.
Published – January 23, 2026 03:48 am IST
