BJP Chhatarpur MlA Radha Krishan Kishore sees red over the Wednesday police firing at Bhoot Mela at Jhareewa river under Naudeeha police station in Palamu where a 20-year-old AH Ansari died in the firing. A nine-year-old child and an elderly woman were also wounded by bullets. Ansari was laid to rest on Thursday.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Chhaterpur BJP MlA Kishore said, “I have asked the SP Palamu Patel Mayur Kanhaiya lal to suspend police officer - Abhijit Mishra and some cops of the India Reserve Battalion deployed at Saraideeh police picket as their mental aberrations and over reactions led to this tragedy which was most avoidable.”
The BJP MlA added further that Mishra along with the IRB jawans created a kind of orgy of violence. They beat up people in the Bhoot Mela. Temporary shops were ransacked on the Mela ground. They also damaged the bikes, broke down the glass panes of the auto rickshaws there'. He said had these cops acted sanely things would not have gone so worst.'
The BJP MlA was most pained to say 'It is true one havildar was under the custody of the mob and anything could have happened to him. However, when he asked for water it was given. He begged for his life which the mob granted and one youth Nandan rode this havildar with his weapon intact upto the Saraideeh police picket on his bike (Nandan's) where Kishore added 'Nandan was roughed up by the picket cops'.
Kishore questioned the wisdom of the police to crack this Bhoot Mela with bullets. 'How can the police hope of cracking an article of faith no matter even if this faith is dark and irrationalIJ' he quipped. Kishore has also raised his accusing fingers towards the role played by the IRB jawans who have no understanding of the place and people of Palamu. Kishore said had this issue been allowed to be handled alone by the local police there would not have been such a tragic mess as this one is now.
Kishore will be speaking to the Chief Minister Raghubar Das in this connection. He said police firing could be avoided and those involved in it are to answer their role. He said a villager was just standing near a Keeyari and the IRB jawans were firing aiming at him!
The villagers are in deep anguish and are demanding closing down of the Saraideeh police picket.
He said it is a matter of probe as to how this Bhoot Mela went on since Janam Ashthmai and no adequate effort was made to pack it up on day one itselfIJ He commented that as Baba Bhagat was detained in the Mela and this added fuel to the anger of the gathering there.
Kishore said 'I have visited Ansari's family and have given assurance to his family of any help required'.