Patna: Policeman beaten to death after teenager dies in police firing

[related-post]

Today’s incident was triggered by rumours of Lalganj Police “deliberately allowing” a local driver of a pick-up van, Mohammed Rizwan and family, to “leave” their Lalganj house. Rajendra Mahto (65) and his one-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter were killed after the pick-up van driven by Ruzwan had rammed into Mahto’s house. Locals, who  had been putting pressure on police to arrest Rizwan, went out of control after learning that he and his family had escaped. They torched Rizwan’s house and later pelted stones at the police.

The incident took place around Wednesday noon. Lalganj police open fired killing a 19-year-old boy Rakesh and another boy, Vikas (16), suffered bullet injuries. Rakesh died on way to Patna Medical College and Hospital. As the word of Rakesh’s death spread, public picked up Belsand (Sitamarhi) police in-charge Ajit Kumar and beat him to death. Vaishali SP, Tirhut IG and DIG have been camping at the spot.

Bihar DGP PK Thakur said extra forces had been sent to the spot and deployment would continue for some days. A local police officer said: ‘Tension could have been avoided if the Muslim boy was arrested. But once he escaped arrest, rumours started floating.”