Patna, July 22: A son of a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) today allegedly beat up a middle-aged vendor in an inebriated state after his car dashed into the cart of the hawker.

The victim, Jageshwar Mahto, took the bloody blows just outside a petrol pump near Patna High Court. The accused, 23-year-old D.K. Dheeraj, has been arrested. His father is Mishri Lal Yadav, an MLC from Local Authority Constituency of Darbhanga district.

Confirming the incident, Patna city superintendent of police Shivdeep Lande said Dheeraj would have to take a medical test for liquor consumption.

“The victim has lodged a complaint. The police are looking into it. At present, the police are verifying as to whether he is really the son of an MLC as he claims,” the senior officer said.

The MLC, however, confirmed that Dheeraj was his son. Yadav said: “I am in Darbhanga at this moment. I have come to know about the incident. According to my information, the hawker was not letting Dheeraj to pass through with the car of his friend he was driving. When he honked for space, three persons, including the hawker, abused him. When my son got out of the car, one of them attacked him and the squabble started. My son has a good nature and never gets into any problem. He has just returned from Hyderabad after completing his engineering course. He is being targeted just because he is an MLC’s son.”

A police officer said: “There is a petrol pump just opposite to Patna High Court. Mahto had stationed with his cart at its exit. The car of the arrested youth knocked against his cart accidentally while coming out of the pump. This resulted in some minor scratches on the vehicle. According to the statement of Mahto, the driver stepped out immediately and started beating him up.”

Sources said Mahto started bleeding profusely after Dheeraj beat him up. Some police constables present at the spot acted swiftly and intercepted Dheeraj, who was allegedly under the influence of liquor. He was taken to Kotwali police station with the victim.

The incidents of wards of influential families landing on the wrong side of the law have become frequent in the state capital. On July 12, Akhilesh, son of JD (U) MLA Chote Lal Rai, thrashed a police officer on duty at the Bailey Road-Boring Road crossing after he was stopped. An FIR was lodged at Kotwali police station but the cops have failed to arrest him till now.

Nine days on, three youths, all from very influential families, rammed their vehicle into a railing on Hardinge Road under the Sachivalaya police station in a drunken state. The police let off the trio without a medical test following the instruction of a senior officer.