Patna/Gaya: Altogether 29 persons were on Thursday arrested for their alleged involvement in Wednesday’s attack on the Aurangabad district magistrate’s (DM’s) office and the ensuing clash with police.

Though the situation in the district was normal on Thursday, the CPI-ML (Liberation) has called an Aurangabad bandh on Friday in protest against the alleged “police brutality” on the protesters and their failure to arrest the killers of a mukhiya (village head).

The party’s state secretary, Kunal, said besides observing bandh, it would observe a protest day across the state by organising dharnas and holding meets in protest against the police’s “failure” to arrest the mukhiya’s killers.

Claiming that the slain mukhiya of the Haspura block area of Aurangabad district was not a party activist, Kunal said he (Devendra Kumar) was a pro-poor activist and he was killed in a planned manner for demanding justice for the landless. The CPI-ML state secretary reiterated the allegation regarding the local block development officer’s involvement in the murder.

Aurangabad superintendent of police (SP) Siddharth Mohan Jain said 29 persons belonging to Haspura, Daudnagar and Obra police stations were arrested and produced in court, which remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days.

“The identity of the suspects involved in the attack was ascertained with the help of video footage,” he said. He added: “In no case innocent persons would be harassed by the police.”

Those arrested have been charged with rioting and causing obstruction in discharge of official duty. Two additional battalions of the Bihar Military Police have been deployed in the town to help the local police in maintaining law and order. In addition, two companies of anti-riot force of the Bihar police have been deputed in sensitive areas as a precautionary measure.

On Wednesday, a mob had attacked the DM’s office and torched vehicles, prompting the police to fire 10 rounds in the air.