Bihar wakes up to New Year massacre

The attackers first locked the thatched mud house in which Vijeyndra Mahto’s wife and five children were sleeping, sprinkled petrol on the house and set it ablaze. To ensure that none survived, the killers stood guard as the house burnt and fired in the air to scare away villagers.

Mahto, who was sleeping outside, is alive. He is in a Patna hospital with serious burn injuries.

The massacre was over the theft of a buffalo. Jagat Rai, from a Yadav family of the village, allegedly stole Mahto’s buffalo in September last year. An FIR was lodged and eight Yadavs were named as accused. The buffalo was rescued and three persons including Rai, his son and nephew, were arrested. Rai was released on bail and he started threatening the Mahto family to withdraw the case. But Mahto refused.

In a Patna hospital, Mahto said the officer in-charge of Raghopur police station, Nooruddin Khan, asked for money to act against Jagat Rai.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rushed to the village along with top police officers. ‘‘It’s the most heinous crime. Bihar’s head is hanging in shame today. Nobody will be spared,’’ he said, addressing the huge crowd that gathered at the site. Sensing the anger of the villagers against the local police, Kumar immediately announced the suspension of Khan. ‘‘We can even go to the extent of dismissing him from service if he is found guilty,’’ declared Kumar. The policeman is missing and an FIR has been lodged against him.

Villagers hold the the police responsible for the incident. ‘‘Despite repeated threats, the police took no action. The police station is less than two km from here but no one came despite hearing gunshots,’’ said Ramjee Mahto, a local resident.

Nitish Kumar was shocked when he heard about the misdeeds of the officer-in-charge Khan. One person from the crowd brought goats tied in the police station to Kumar and said: ‘‘Look, he has taken these goats as bribe from the poor people.’’

Tension gripped the area on caste lines as the killers happened to be from the dominant Yadav caste. Rampur-Syamchak village is dominated by the Yadavs and the victims hailing from the extremely backward Kahar caste are in a minority: five huts situated in a corner of the village.

Nitish Kumar, however, refrained from giving it a caste colour. Addressing the crowd, he said that a man who can unleash such a crime does not belong to any caste. ‘‘I am urging (you) with folded hands to maintain harmony at any cost. People of all castes should boycott these kind of elements,’’ he appealed and promised monetary and other benefits for the victims’ family.

Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and wife Rabri Devi too visited the spot and promised a job to a member of the family.

Jagat Rai, the prime accused, is missing and the police have begun a manhunt to trace him.