Police on Wednesday afternoon fired in the air to disperse a mob that went on a rampage while protesting against the murder of a RJD leader in Arwal district.

RJD leader Yogendra Manjhi was allegedly abducted on October 13 when he was returning home from a meeting in Ranapur village. His body, cut into pieces, was recovered from a well on the outskirts of Naranga village, around 70km southwest of Patna, on Wednesday morning. He was 50.

As the news reached the village, residents and supporters of Manjhi laid a siege on the Karpi police station. They indulged in arson and pelted the police station with stones. Three policemen suffered injuries on their head.

The protesters turned violent when the police tried to quell them. The protesters blamed the police for the murder of Manjhi, who was the district president of the party’s extremely backward cell.

When bursting tear gas shells and baton charge failed to contain the mob, the police fired in the air. Nobody was injured.

Arwal deputy superintendent of police Raj Kishore Singh said: “A police team rushed to the Naranga village after information was received about the recovery of a middle-aged man’s body from the well. The body had been cut into pieces and thrown into the well on the outskirts of the village.”

On the firing at the Karpi police station, he said: “The police fired in the air after tear gas shells and the baton charge failed to contain the crowd. Several vehicles parked on the police station premises were set on fire. Several vehicles were damaged by the mob.”

He added that three persons, including a special police officer, were arrested on October 16 based on a complaint lodged by Manjhi’s family.

Manjhi’s daughter Sabita Devi had alleged that her father was kidnapped at the behest of a panchayat head, Seema Devi, and her husband Bholi Sharma.

In a complaint submitted to the Karpi police station on October 14, she had said the panchayat head and her husband had called her father for arbitration in a case on October 13. “When my father didn’t return home till late in the night, we reported the matter to the police the next day,” she said.

Seema Devi, her husband and special police officer Pappu Kumar were among the seven persons named in the FIR. Sabita accused the police of keeping the matter under wraps for a week and stated that her father’s murder was the fallout of a political rivalry.

“The police didn’t take interest in the case because of political pressure,” she said.

Arwal superintendent of police Anand Kumar Singh said Sabita is a Vikas Mitra. A few months ago, she had also complaint against the panchayat head accusing her of committing financial irregularities. Singh said the allegations were probed at the behest of the district magistrate.

He added that raids were on to arrest the four other accused who are absconding after Sabita lodged the complaint.

Death trail

October 13: RJD leader Yogendra Manjhi goes missing
October 14: Manjhi’s daughter Sabita lodges complaint at Karpi police station, names seven persons as accused
October 16: Panchayat head Seema Devi, her husband Bholi Sharma and special police officer Pappu Kumar arrested
October 23: Manjhi’s body found