BHOPAL: In a startling case from Satna district, police uncovered a bizarre attempt by a 22-year-old man to turn a botched social media stunt into a fabricated murder attempt. The man, Samir Saudagar of Panna district, accidentally shot himself with a country-made pistol while filming a Reel — and then allegedly tried to frame three others for the injury.
Samir arrived at the Satna police station on November 14 claiming that three men, including Nishant Singh, had stopped him, abused him, and fired at him with the intention to kill, injuring his left hand. He alleged that Nishant held a grudge because Samir had beaten him months earlier for misbehaving with his sister.
Police registered a case, but inconsistencies soon appeared. Call-detail records placed Nishant in Pune at the time of the supposed attack. This led investigators to retrace Samir’s movements on the day of the incident.
According to police, Samir had travelled to Nagod with friends Sanjay Beldar and Pradeep Prajapati, met three acquaintances, and spent time smoking cannabis. Later, while driving toward Peepal Chauraha, Samir began recording a Reel with the pistol in hand. As the group crossed Behnaan Pulia, the weapon accidentally fired, injuring him.
Rather than admit the self-inflicted mishap, Samir and his friends allegedly concocted a story to implicate Nishant and two others. Satna police have now booked Samir and five associates under sections related to filing a false case, criminal conspiracy, and violations of the Arms Act. Three accused — Himanshu alias Mante Yadav, Sanjay Beldar, and Pradeep Prajapati — have been arrested, and the vehicle used has been seized.
