Brahmeshwar Singh ‘Mukhiya’. Telegraph picture

Patna, Nov. 5: The appearance of Ranvir Sena founder Brahmeshwar Singh ‘Mukhiya’ in a Jehanabad court today for the Laxmanpur Bathe massacre brought back memories of the days when violent clashes were almost an everyday affair in the central Bihar countryside.

A resident of Khopira village in Bhojpur district, Brahmeshwar was produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate Sachchidand Singh.

He has been charged with hatching the conspiracy of the killing of 58 people belonging to the backward section of society on the night of December 1, 1997 at Laxmanpur Bathe village under Mehadiya police station in Arwal district.

Two other witnesses — Shiv Pujan Choudhary and Chandkeshwar Rai — also deposed before the court, which transferred the case to the district and sessions judge.

“The district and sessions judge will forward the trial of the three accused to the special court in Patna for hearing. The trial of the three was held separately from the other accused, who had been pronounced guilty,” said S. P. Sinha, a Jehanabad court lawyer. While death sentence was slapped on 16 accused, 10 were sent to life imprisonment by the special court headed by Vijay Prakash Mishra. The special court was constituted in Patna following a directive of the high court.

The Laxmanpur Bathe massacre trial was shifted from Jehanahabad to Patna in October 1999 because of the large number of accused in the case. An FIR was lodged with Mehadiya police station on the statement of one Binod Paswan, who had named 26 people as accused.

Brahmeshwar, accused of masterminding several massacres in central Bihar districts such as Jehanabad, Aurganabad, Gaya and Bhojpur district, was released on bail in July this year after spending almost nine years in prison. His release had raised speculation of revival of Ranvir Sena, a private militia of landlords.

Police said Ranvir Sena was involved in as many as 29 massacres, including those in Mianpur and Bathani Tola between 1995 and 2000, and remained the most formidable adversary of the ultra- Left extremist groups as well as the state police. It was only after Brahmeshwar’s arrest in Patna in 2002 that the Sena lost power on its turf.