Bhubaneswar, Feb. 26: Former Congress chief whip Santosh Singh Saluja and his cousin, Amarjit Singh, today suffered grievous injuries when seven people attacked them with sharp weapons at Kantabanji in Balangir district, about 500km from here.

Police detained five people and are interrogating them.

Though Saluja's condition was slated to be out of danger, he was shifted to SCB Medical College for further treatment. Saluja had already undergone kidney transplantation. The senior Congress leader from west Odisha suffered injuries in his chest, backhand and thigh.

Amarjit, whose condition was critical, has been shifted to Raipur in Chhattisgarhfor further treatment.

Sources said the attack had taken place when Saluja, along with his cousin, had gone to Chatuanka village near Kantabanji where a disputed land property is located.

Suddenly, the criminals came out from behind a tree and attacked them with sharp weapons. Though Saluja had bought the land and claimed to have its Record of Rights, his rival camp claimed that the land belonged to them.

However, Saluja accused the ruling party behind the attack. He alleged that the local BJD MLA from Kantabanji, Ayub Khan, was behind the attack. "Earlier he had threatened me to attack and said nothing would happen as his party is in power," he said before leaving for Cuttack.

Saluja said that though he had lodged two police complaints about the threat, but no action was taken to prevent such an attack.

However, despite several attempts, Khan could not be contacted. Bargarh superintendent of police U.S. Dash, who is in charge of Balangir, said: "Probe is on to ascertain the motive behind the attack."