Patna, Oct. 13: Violence rocked Madhubani for the second day today as angry residents set ablaze five government offices, including three police stations, to protest the death of a student in police firing.
Three persons were injured when the police fired on the mob indulging in stone pelting and arson at Jay Na-gar, a sub-divisional town in the district and about 200km northeast of Patna, early today. The demonstrators tor-ched Basopatti, Khajauli and Jay Nagar police stations, attacked a passenger train at Jay Nagar station and looted about 2,000 bags of foodgrains at a Khajauli godown. The block offices at Khajauli and Harlakhi were also ransacked.
The protesters pelted stones at the Jay Nagar police station, set ablaze a truck, ransacked the railway station and disrupted movement of trains on Jay Nagar-Darbhanga section under Samastipur railway division.
The police initially fired teargas shells to prevent the mob from ransacking Jay Nagar-Danapur Intercity Express. But when the protesters went on the rampage, the police fired at them. Mohammed Shamshad, Mohan Raut and Ravinder Yadav, all residents of Jay Nagar town, were injured in the firing and admitted to a primary health centre. Shamshad and Yadav were later referred to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were clamped and additional forces were sent to Jay Nagar from the district headquarters.
Violence erupted at Basopatti around 8am today following the news of the death of Nishant Kumar Jha (18) in yesterday’s police firing. Nishant was an Intermediate student of RK College in Madhubani. Around 100 residents raided the Basopatti police station. Security personnel posted there fled, leaving behind arms and ammunition.
Forces from Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Samastipur and Darbhanga and personnel of Bihar Military Police and Government Railway Police were deployed in Madhubani.
“The beheaded body of a youth found yesterday was identified as that of Prashant. The body was handed over to his family for last rites,” said Jitendra Singh Gangwar, the new inspector-general of police (Darbhanga zone).
The RJD and Left parties have called a state bandh on October 15 in protest against the incident.
