Mukhiya accused in acid attack roams free

It's nearly a week since a mukhiyapati and his men beat up and poured acid into the eyes of a man who demanded flood relief...

It8217;s nearly a week since a mukhiyapati and his men beat up and poured acid into the eyes of a man who demanded flood relief, but he roams free flaunting his connections with the ruling Janata Dal U.

On August 21, Kapileshwar Mukhiya 8212; who runs village affairs in Tumaria on behalf of his wife, the panchayat head 8212; and his men had allegedly beaten up Shiv Kumar Sahni, a tea-stall owner, for coming to his house and demanding flood relief. After that, they allegedly poured acid into his eyes and locked him up in a community health centre. It was much later that Sahni was taken to hospital.

On their part, the mukhiyapati has said in his FIR that Shiv Kumar was beaten up because he pulled out a pistol while demanding flood relief. The FIR says he doesn8217;t know anything about the acid attack.

Madhubani SP Amrit Raj says arrest orders have been issued for Kapileshwar after the victim8217;s statement was recorded on Friday, but the officer in charge of Lakhanpur police station who is in charge of the case says, 8220;Investigations are on, and once they are done we will proceed according to orders from our superiors.8221;

Less than a kilometre away from the station, Kapileshwar spoke to The Indian Express and proudly said, 8220;I8217;m one of the district secretaries of Janata Dal U. I8217;d gone to attend a block level meeting of the party for review of flood relief.8221; He then added that in the last Assembly election, he8217;d been a strong contender for a JD U ticket and that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dined at his house during the party8217;s pre-poll Nyay Yatra.

Kapileshwar also has financial clout: he owns over 20 acres of farmland, has a big fish hatchery, owns a cinema hall, and trades in makhana.

Most people in the village refuse to speak about the incident. The victim8217;s father, Ramdev Sahni, whose FIR states that his son did pull out a pistol, says he was forced to put his thumb impression on a piece of paper.

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8220;The mukhiya and his men thrashed me, they threatened to put acid in my eyes, and took my thumb impression,8221; he declared with folded hands.

If the mukhiya is a strongman, then victim Shiv Kumar, too, has the reputation of being a nuisance. 8220;He was not a dreaded criminal, but at the same time people were scared to face him,8221; said Dinesh Thakur, a shopkeeper. 8220;He8217;d threaten to shoot anyone, and he also used to tease young girls.8221;

Lakhnaur police station in-charge Amarkant Chowbey said that Shiv Kumar, who has spent time in jail and was also involved in an attempt to murder case, was the only 8220;habitual criminal8221; in the area under his jurisdiction.

8220;I had even offered him Rs 500 and pleaded with him to go to Delhi so that I could heave a sigh of relief,8221; said Chowbey. 8220;Earlier, he used to work in a hosiery factory in Delhi.8221;

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The mukhiya is using Shiv Kumar8217;s reputation to his advantage. 8220;People were fed up with him, they wanted to get rid of him anyhow,8221; he said. 8220;When he threatened me with a pistol, a crowd chased and thrashed him. I tried to save him but failed in the face of public anger.8221;

But people in the area say the mukhiya himself used to employ Shiv Kumar as a muscleman before they fell out.