Patna, Oct. 10: The fight for justice for the victims of police firing at Forbesganj in Araria district received a boost today with the Supreme Court seeking the state government’s stand on a plea for a CBI probe into the incident.
Four persons, including an infant and a pregnant woman, were killed in the police firing on June 3.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice J.S. Khehar issued a notice to the state government, seeking its stand on the CBI probe into the incident.
Reacting to the Supreme Court notice, a senior officer of the home department said: “Let the apex court directive come first. We will go through the content of the court order and then make any comment on the issue.”
The officer, preferring anonymity, said the state government has already ordered a judicial probe headed by a retired Patna High Court judge Madhavendra Sharan into the incident. “It will not be proper to comment on the matter when a judicial probe is in progress,” he added.
Delhi-based non-government organisation (NGO) Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court alleging that the Bihar government was protecting the police officers, who had resorted to firing at unarmed villagers.
In the plea before the apex court, APCR also sought a directive to the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of each of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to each of those injured in the police firing.
Though the state government set up a judicial commission to probe into the incident, the leaders of the main opposition parties have been demanding a CBI probe into the case. The opposition party leaders decried the state government for its failure to protect the members of the minority community.
The government announced a judicial probe prior to the visit of All Indian Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi to Forbesganj on July 1.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad also visited Forbesganj, organised rallies and criticised the state government for failing to provide safety and security to the people belonging to the minority community.
