A CRPF vehicle bore the brunt of people’s anger soon after it had hit a youth, injuring him critically, on the busy Govind Mitra Road on Thursday afternoon.

The youth, Ranjeet Kumar, 25, was taken to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and later shifted to a private nursing home where his condition is stated to be stable. Besides Ranjeet, a resident of Masaurhi, two others were also injured but they were released after first aid.

No sooner had the CRPF van carrying a few personnel hit Ranjeet, leaving him profusely bleeding than a huge crowd assembled on the spot to raise slogans and block the road leading to the Ashok Rajpath.

Initially, pedestrians accompanied by local shopkeepers put pressure on the CRPF vehicle driver to get the injured admitted to the PMCH. As soon as the driver got down, some protesters roughed him up. The mob also caused damage to the vehicle. The protesters later indulged in arson and demanded immediate shifting of the CRPF 131st battalion camp from Moin-ul-Haq Stadium. Apprehending trouble, the driver, along with other personnel, fled the spot leaving behind the vehicle. Pirbahore police station officers said the vehicle had been seized.

Pirbahore station house officer S.A. Hashmi said the blockade was lifted around 3.30pm after the CRPF officers provided Rs 11,500 for Ranjeet’s treatment. He said a case had been registered under bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code. “The situation is under control now,” he added.

Patna superintendent of police Jayant Kant said the police would identify the troublemakers with the help of video clips of the incident and initiate action against them. “We have video footage of the rioting and arson,” he said.

No senior officer of the CRPF 131st battalion was available for comment. When contacted, a personnel manning the CRPF control room said: “No officer is now available for talking to the media.”