Patna: The FIR lodged on Sunday over the mowing down of nine children in Muzaffarpur district on Saturday has thrown up a twist: It names only one person, BJP worker Manoj Baitha.
Although the initial information had local residents saying there were three people in the speeding SUV and that a "driver" was arrested, the FIR says Baitha was driving the vehicle - which sported a BJP flag - that killed the children near Dharampur village under the jurisdiction of Minapur police station around 1.20pm on Saturday. The SUV belongs to Baitha, a resident of Sonbarsa in Sitamarhi district around 145km north of Patna.
BJP Sitamarhi district president Subodh Kumar Singh said Baitha was general secretary of the party's Dalit cell, and actively participates in the party's programmes.
Contacted, Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai claimed that Baitha was not a party office-bearer but admitted that he "might be associated" with the party. Action would be taken against the accused whoever they may be, Rai added.
Muzaffarpur additional superintendent of police Gaurav Pandey, who is heading the special investigation team (SIT) probing the accident, told The Telegraph on Sunday that the owner of the vehicle (Baitha) has been booked under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and other sections of the IPC. Minapur police station house officer (SHO) Sona Prasad Singh said Baitha has been made accused under sections 279, 308, 338 and 304 of the IPC. Muzaffarpur district transport officer Nazir Ahmad said that the SUV, which has been seized, was registered in Baitha's name on September 21, 2010.
"He is the only accused in the FIR lodged on the statement of the parents of the deceased," SHO Singh said. "So far we have come to know about the involvement of Baitha in the tragic death of the nine children."
If found guilty under Section 304, Baitha could get jail up to 10 years, and fine.
The SIT conducted raids in Sitamarhi on Sunday to trace Baitha. An investigating officer said that Baitha visited a Sitamarhi hospital for treatment but fled after he came to know about the death of nine children.
The students, aged between 7 and 11 years, were waiting in front of the school to cross the road after the school was over.
On Sunday, local residents blocked the NH 77 in front of the Dharampur government middle school and demanded construction of a road overbridge to prevent such mishaps. They also demanded installation of speed-breakers and ramblers on roads near schools. The blockade was removed after Muzaffarpur district magistrate Dharmendra Kumar and senior superintendent of police Vivek Kumar promised to apprise the government of the demands.
At Dharampur village, around 8km north of Muzaffarpur district headquarters town, the children's bodies were handed over to their parents on Sunday after post-mortem. The condition of one of the 10 injured children is stated to be critical. Doctors operated on three of the injured children at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital on Saturday night.
