Independence Day gift: Umar Khalid's attackers claim responsibility on Facebook

New Delhi: In a video uploaded on social media, two men have claimed responsibility for the attack on JNU student leader Umar Khalid in an upmarket area in Delhi on Monday, and said they will surrender before police on Friday.

Police are on the lookout for the two men seen in the video uploaded on Facebook on Wednesday.

In the video, the two men, who identified themselves as Darwesh Shahpur and Naveen Dalal, claimed the attack was supposed to be an "Independence Day gift" to Indians. Police are verifying the authenticity of the video and trying to trace the IP address from where it was uploaded.

"We respect our Constitution. But there is no provision in our Constitution to punish mad dogs. By mad dogs, we mean the JNU gang that is making the country weaker and their number is increasing. Our elders in Haryana have taught us that such people should be taught a lesson," Shahpur said in the video message.

The duo requested the police to not trouble anyone and said they would surrender at the village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha on August 17. They said they attacked Khalid for their country.

Police are contacting their counterparts in Punjab and Haryana to trace the two men.

Khalid was attacked on Monday when he was on his way to take part in an event at the Constitution Club after having tea at a shop outside the venue. He, however, escaped unhurt.

On Tuesday, the Delhi Police handed over the case to its Special Cell, which incidentally is already probing a sedition case against Khalid and two other JNU students.

The police had said they were not "intimated" about the event on Monday in which Khalid was participating.

A police officer, privy to the probe, said the police had seized the weapon and preliminary forensic examination suggested the pistol had jammed when it was used against Khalid. He said they were yet to ascertain whether shots were fired as no empty cartridges were found at the spot.

A case of attempt to murder was registered by the police.