Two young men were seriously injured in Bilaspur after a group of attackers allegedly first tried to run them over with a pickup vehicle and then chased and assaulted them with pipes and sticks in what police believe was an old-rivalry attack.

The incident took place late on 26 June in the Sarkanda police station area, and a video of the attack has since gone viral on social media. The injured youths were taken to SIMS Hospital for treatment, while police have registered a case and begun investigating the matter.

According to the complaint, Nikhil Dhruv, who lives in Lingiadih and works in दूध वितरण, said he was standing on the terrace of his house around 11 pm when he noticed his friends Aditya Maht and Ravi Gandharv standing near Dilip Patil’s house close to Apollo Chowk.

He said a pickup vehicle came speeding from the Chingrajpara side and hit Aditya and Ravi, causing them to fall on the road. As soon as the vehicle stopped, attackers identified as Bandya, Bauwa and their associates allegedly stepped out and began abusing the victims over an old dispute.

The assault escalated quickly. The attackers allegedly chased the two youths and beat them repeatedly with a fibre pipe and sticks. Another accused, Aman Naidu, reportedly arrived in a car and joined the attack, threatening to kill the victims along with his associates.

Friends of the injured youths rushed them to SIMS Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Nikhil Rakesh later went to the police station and filed a report. Based on the complaint, Sarkanda police have booked Bandya, Bauwa, Aman Naidu and two others.

Police said CCTV footage shows around 8 to 10 attackers armed with pipes and sticks taking part in the assault. ASP City Pankaj Patel said the incident appears to have been carried out due to a long-standing rivalry, and five people, including a minor, have been arrested so far.

The case has once again raised concerns about street violence, revenge attacks and the use of vehicles as weapons during personal disputes. Authorities are now examining the viral footage and other evidence to identify all those involved.