Already in the dock over the death of six tribals in the recent Bagha police firing, the Nitish Kumar Government faced more flak on Tuesday when a suspected kidnapper succumbed to his torture injuries at Patna Medical College and Hospital after he was mercilessly beaten up in the police lock-up in Jamui district recently.
The police had arrested the accused, Munna Singh on the charge of kidnapping a garment merchant from Jamui last month and later he was severely beaten in the police lock-up. The police were allegedly trying to extract a confessional statement, forcing the accused to admit his involvement in the crime. The businessman, Baikunth Barnwal was kidnapped from Jamui on May 5.
The State Government has already removed the Superintendent of Police of Jamui, Deepak Barnwal following the incident and also suspended two police personnel.
The Chief Minister convened a high-level meeting with an objective to take some prompt action following the incident. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary AK Sinha, Director General of Police Abhayanand, CM’s Principal Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and Principal Secretary (Home) Amir Subhani.
The Government has announced compensation of `5 lakh to the family of Munna Singh, who had surrendered in a local court of Jamui on June 13 after his alleged involvement was disclosed during the investigation, later, police took him on remand for two days on June 29 but he was allegedly beaten by officers-in-charge of Jamui police station and Giddhaur police station, Jeetendra Kumar and Satyabrat Bharti respectively.
Both officers-in-charge have been suspended and orders already issued to arrest these two police officers, The body guard of Jamui’s Superintendent of Police who was involved in badly thrashing Munna Singh, has also been taken into custody.
Infuriated over the incident, a strong mob of the people took to the streets at Jamui and engaged the security personnel in a ding-dong battle at Jamui for several hours. Only a few months back, an youth Mukesh Kumar had become the victim of the police high handedness in Sheikhpura district,
leader of Opposition in State Assembly and senior BJP leader, Nand Kishore Yadav said that such types of incidents only vouch the fact that the State Government has lost all the credibility and its control over the system. He alleged that Nitish Kumar is busy with his own ‘jugadu technology’ to strengthen his Government, thus Government officers getting freedom to indulge in all such heart wrenching activities,
State RJD president Dr Ramchandra Purve and the party MP, Ram Kripal Yadav asked the State Government to create a tribunal for providing justice to those who have suffered the police brutality.
Reacting to the brutality of the police personnel, State Congress president Ashok Choudhary said that the Government should introspect and find out reasons why such types of incidents are taking place.