Tension gripped Borgaon village in the district following violent clashes between residents and land mafia on Saturday over an attempt to forcible capture of a portion of land meant for an academic institution.

The alleged land-grabbers removed the signboards, posters and flags from the 15 decimal of land (65,349sqft or nine cottah) at the village in Belkhuria panchayat under the jurisdiction of Shahkund police station and tried to forcibly grab the plot .

A villager had donated the land to the Bihar governor through a registered danpatra (deed of gift) in 1986 for the setting up of an academic institution. The man was killed in the Bhagalpur riots in 1989. The relatives of the man alleged that some influential people captured the plot in May 2013 and started illegal construction there.

Bhagalpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Kumar said the Sadar sub-divisional officer and the deputy superintendent of police have been asked to visit the spot to take stock of the situation.

"Instructions have been issued for stern action against those trying to vitiate the situation and trying to gain political mileage," said SSP Kumar, adding that nobody would be allowed to take the law in their hands. He also assured to resolve the issue shortly. BJP MP from Buxar and former state minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey has criticised the administrative and police officers for failing to contain the situation and allegedly allowing the land-grabbers to capture a portion of the land.