ATHANI/BELGAUM: Four people were injured when a group opened fire at the vehicle in which they were travelling at Raibag taluk near here on Wednesday.
The incident occurred between Khadakabhavi Cross and Bendwad village of Raibag taluk at around 9.30 am. The injured were identified as Sadashiva Siddappa Dange, Sawakka Basappa Dange, Sumitra Prahalad Kajjidoni and Shantawwa Sahadev Rajapure of Itnal village.
All the injured were later shifted to a private hospital at Gokak after receiving first aid at the Harugeri Primary Health Centre. Doctors attending the injured said the victims were out of danger.
Police suspect previous enmity between the Sadashiv Dange group and Suresh Mutnale group as the reason behind the attack.
According to police, the seven members of the Dange group were on their way to attend court proceedings at Chikkodi, in connection with their alleged attack on the police in 2009.
They were travelling in a jeep, when about 15 people of the Mutnale group, armed with revolvers in two Maharashtra registered four-wheelers, fired 15 rounds on the jeep.
In spite of receiving three bullet injuries, Sadashiv Dange did not stop the jeep and this made the Mutnale gang flee fearing an attack by villagers of Bendwad, which was less than 500 metres away.
SP Sandeep Patil, IGP Northern Range Charan Reddy rushed to the spot. Four police teams were pressed into action to nab the culprits.