Hidayatullah Patel, the 66-year-old Vice President of Maharashtra Congress and a former District President with a long political career, including contesting Lok Sabha elections from Akola in 2014 and 2019, was fatally stabbed shortly after completing afternoon prayers at the Jama Masjid (also referred to as Markaz Masjid) in Mohala village, Akot taluka of Akola district, highlighting the risks faced by local leaders amid ongoing political rivalries.

The brutal attack unfolded on Tuesday around 1:30 pm as Patel stepped out of the mosque following namaz, where the assailant suddenly struck him multiple times with a sharp weapon, targeting his neck and chest (or abdomen in some reports), causing severe injuries and massive blood loss that left him collapsing in a pool of blood outside the place of worship.

Despite immediate assistance from local residents who rushed the gravely injured leader to a private hospital in Akot, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit and later possibly transferred for advanced treatment, Patel fought for his life but ultimately succumbed to his wounds on Wednesday morning, sending shockwaves through the political community and local residents.

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Law enforcement acted decisively, forming six specialised police teams that successfully apprehended the 22-year-old accused, Ubed Khan Kalu Khan alias Razik Khan Patel (also referred to as Ubed Patel), from nearby Panaj village that same evening; preliminary investigations point to an old personal enmity and political rivalry as the motive, with the suspect allegedly harbouring grudges over a 2019 family member's death and perceived obstacles to his own political ambitions, despite reported familial connections.

In the aftermath, authorities have significantly bolstered security arrangements across Mohala village and Akot city to prevent any escalation, while District Superintendent of Police Archit Chandak personally oversees the situation, forensic experts continue evidence collection at the scene, and the Akot rural police have registered a formal case, as viral social media videos of the bloodied victim further intensified public outrage over the incident.

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