Villagers clash with cops over factory wall in Bihar,3 killed

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has asked Director General of Police to supervise the incident. The factory is owned by BJP’s Legislative Council member from Katihar Ashok Agrawal.

Police say the incident took place around 3.30 pm when over 100 villagers of minority-dominated Bhajanpur village,,clashed with the police over the construction of the boundary of AS International Private Limited,a company planning to set up a glucose and starch factory besides a captive power plant. The villagers were enraged at the new boundary wall blocking their way to other parts of the village. They had set on fire a JCB machine and two tractors inside the factory premises earlier in the day.

The Araria police that sought additional police deployment first used tear gas to disperse the mob. After the villagers came in direct clash with the police,the latter resorted to firing. Three persons were killed and over a dozen villagers were injured in the incident.

Araria SP Garima Mullick and four other policemen were also injured in the incident.

Saharsa Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Sudhanshu Kumar,who holds additional charge of Araria,told The Indian Express: “The police had to open fire after the mob attacked the police and entered the factory premises.”

The DIG said there had been tension over the construction of the upcoming factory’s boundary walls. The district administration had intervened unsuccessfully in the matter twice.