Eye for eye in Bihar, eye for denying in Ranchi

Six weeks after Gangaajal, a film loosely based on the Bhagalpur blindings, hit the screens in Bihar, incidents of suspected criminals findi...

Six weeks after Gangaajal, a film loosely based on the Bhagalpur blindings, hit the screens in Bihar, incidents of suspected criminals finding their eyes gouged out in the name of justice are still being reported.

On Sunday alone, three people lost their eyes in two cases at Sitamarhi and Sheikhpura districts. In the Sitamarhi incident, acid was thrown into the eyes of a middle-aged man who allegedly misbehaved with a girl. While at Sheikhpura, a crowd caught hold of two brothers who were reportedly trying to loot a bus, thrashed them and took their eyes out using a sickle.
The first incident occurred at a local public health centre in Sitamarhi’s Bathaulia, where some flood-affected people had taken shelter. Two families, one of Ramadar Das and another of Mohammad Hameed, clashed over the limited space available. Mohammad Mustafa, a relative of Hameed, reportedly misbehaved with Ramadar’s daughter. Angry onlookers grabbed hold of Mustafa and poured acid into his eyes. He lost one of them.

Police have registered two FIRs in the incident—one against Mustafa for misbehaving with the girl and another for the acid attack on him.

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According to DSP Indranand Sharma investigating the Sheikhpura case, the blindings here occurred on Sunday evening when brothers Dayanand Yadav and Adik Yadav—believed to be part of the Kapil Yadav gang—were threatening passengers at a chowk to part with their belongings. People caught hold of them and gouged their eyes out using a sickle.

However, Dayanand claims they were arguing with the bus conductor over overcharging when they were attacked.

In another incident reported by The Indian Express earlier, 16-year-old Dhanveer Yadav’s eyes were gouged out after he was accused of stealing a cycle in Khagaria district. A Bangalore hospital later offered to help him and Dhanveer is being treated there. District SP Ajit Joy has recommended a collective fine on the village for the crime.

In August, Jatanand Yadav, suspect in a case of cattle theft, met the same fate in Banka. Gangaajal director Prakash Jha dismisses allegations that his movie is to blame for the recent surge in ‘‘judicial’’ blindings. ‘‘I can’t say anything conclusively. These incidents could be due to the general frustration in Bihar society. But certainly they are not the ways civilised societies function.’’

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Cops held after blow cost driver vision

MANOJ PRASAD
RANCHI, OCTOBER 14
S policemen, including a sub-inspector, were remanded to judicial custody today for allegedly assaulting a truck driver here, partially damaging his vision. Sub-Inspector D.P. Singh and constables Umesh Singh, Md Eqbal, Jai Kumar Singh, Paneshwar Yadav and Sukhdeo Bhagat of the Lower Bazar police station have been charged under Sections 341, 323, 325 and 385 of the IPC for ‘‘causing grievous injury to the victim by wrongfully confining him with the common intention of extorting money’’. The driver, Birendra Yadav, had reportedly refused to bribe them with Rs 500 on the night of October 12. ‘‘Our investigation reveals that they had committed the crime. The action was necessary,’’ said Ranchi SSP M.V. Rao. Yadav, 35, who is undergoing treatment at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences here, was carrying seven buffaloes from Aurangabad in Bihar to Bundu in Jharkhand when he was stopped by policemen near Kantatoli. ‘‘It was around 1.30 am. As soon as we crossed Kantatoli Chowk, the policemen started following us. They overtook us when I slowed down in front of a speed-breaker. A constable walked up to me and demanded Rs 500. I told them I can’t give more than Rs 50-100. But he insisted and I was asked to come to the police station. I began following them in my truck. But I was again stopped near the chowk when the same constable started threatening me. When I begged for mercy, he hit me with his lathi. The blow damaged my eye,’’ Yadav said. Dr Rajiv Kumar Gupta, who is treating him, said Yadav’s right eye has been partially damaged.

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