Sanjay Kumar Deepak. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Patna, Oct. 28: At the age of 20, he dropped out of school and joined the “Total Revolution” launched by Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan in 1975.

Now, 36 years later, Sanjay Kumar Deepak, a native of Nokha in Rohtas district, has been running from pillar to post against alleged police harassment.

Deepak, district president of Sampoorna Kranti Manch (an organisation of people associated with the JP Movement), has been made an accused under Section 107 of CrPC and declared a troublemaker by the Nokha police. His repeated plea against the charge has gone unheeded and now he is forced to make rounds of the sub-divisional court. “I was jailed for taking part in the JP movement. I was lodged in Sasaram jail along with several leaders of those days, including former ministers AkhlaqAhmad, Vikram Kuer, Sachidanand Singh and ex-MLAs Shiv Pujan Singh and Tribhuwan Singh,” he said.

“I have always fought against wrong and worked for restoring peace and harmony in society. But the police have branded me a troublemaker and even threatened to enter my name in ‘Gunda register’ at the police station to humiliate me,” Deepak said.

He claimed that the station house officer of Nokha police station visited his house and demanded money. “Bail karwa lene se kuchh nahi hota hai (Grant of bail by the court will not help you),” Deepak quoted the police officer as saying. He approached the senior police officers and apprised them of the ill-treatment meted out to him and his family members by the SHO but to no avail.

Finally, he decided to knock the door of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to get justice. He lodged a written complaint against the police for harassing him and his family members at the behest of some influential persons of the area. The SHRC sought a detailed report from the Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) with regard to the allegations.

Rohtas SP Manu Maharaj assigned his junior Kumar Amar Singh, additional SP, to inquire into the matter. ASP Singh confirmed to The Telegraph that he visited Nokha on October 19 to probe the complaint of Deepak.

Deepak, in his complaint, alleged that one of his three brothers —Atal Bihari — received burn injuries in both eyes when one Dheeraj Kumar and his men threw acid on him following an altercation over a “petty issue”. His other two brothers — Pradeep Kumar Chaurasia and Rakesh Kumar Chaurasia — and son Sonu Kumar were assaulted when they tried to intervene.

“Though my brothers suffered serious injuries in the attack, they have been implicated in a false case,” he said.

Nokha SHO Ranjeet Singh said two persons have already been sent to jail in connection with the acid throwing case. Five others are either on bail or absconding, he said, adding that he recommended action under Section 107 in view of tension prevailing between the two rival groups.