Despite attempts being made by the State police, Badkagaon MlA Nirmala Devi, who went missing after the scuffle between the protesters and Police on October 1 followed by the killing of four villagers in police firing, still remains at large even after a fortnight. Speculations however are rife that the MlA was arrested by the Police on Saturday from some undisclosed location in Hazaribagh.
“She is still absconding. We are trying our best to get her arrested and hope that she will be arrested very soon,” said Hazaribagh SP Bhimsen Tuti. He however rejected the speculations being made in the political circles that that the police has already arrested the MlA.
“This information being spread by some people is completely wrong and misguiding,” he added. The incident occurred when the protest of Badkagaon residents in Hazaribagh demanding to seize work at NTPC coal mining project turned ugly and security forces had to resort to firing on an irate mob trying to abduct senior officials of the State Government.
The mob turned violent after police arrested the Congress MlA early in the morning leading to a protest by the people while the MlA was sitting on 'Kafan Satyagraha' at Chirudih village to oppose the land acquisition by the NTPC on September 15.
Police had imposed section 144 prohibiting assembling of more than four persons at one place in the area and the Congress leader was said to have defied the prohibitory orders.
As the news of her arrest spread, her supporters along with the villagers started gathering around Dandi Kala village under Badkagaon police station. According to police, a mob of around 100 people attacked the police convoy taking the Congress MlA to police station and forcibly freed her. The mob also abducted Additional SP (Operations) and the circle officer of Badkagaon and were allegedly assaulted after taking them to a nearby field.
Police also maintained that it opened fire in self-defense as the protesters had turned violent.
Badkagaon, 12 kilometres from Hazaribagh, is considered to be the richest coal block in Asia. NTPC wants about 17,000 acres for coal mining, which has been opposed by the agricultural community in the area. The forest department has handed over 2,500 acres, out of which mining has already begun on 500 acres.