Who burnt K.B. Sahay?s statue near the St Columba?s College in Hazaribagh 20 years ago, still remains a mystery, at least for those teaching new chapters of journalism.

While studying at the St Columba?s College during mid-1980s, the then Bihar chief minister Bindeshwari Dube had unveiled the statue of his predecessor K.B. Sahay.

One evening, two hostel students noticed a burning tyre in the playground.

They started trying to throw the fire ring around the statue?s neck. The paint on the statue was new and combustible, and soon the statue was engulfed in flames. All the boarders decided to keep mum about the incident.

Dubey, who later saw the gutted statue sought answers from the district administration officials. But, no one was able to say anything. Soon, media reports of the involvement of ?Jharkhandi activists? in the incident started floating around.

After about 4 months, the boy who had burnt the statue by accident, went to his relative?s place in Katras. There, he narrated the incident to one of his friend and the information somehow reached Sahay?s grandson, who was in coal business those days.

A week or so later, the particular boy in question suddenly went missing and was untraceable for three days, after which we learnt that Sahay?s grandson, who has abducted the student, was in the principal?s room.

Boarders and day scholars assembled outside the principal?s office in no time and we could see that the chief minister?s grandson had tortured our friend for three days and now wanted his rustication.

Though the principal, Rev J.S. Shaw, locked the chief minister?s grandson in his chamber, pacifying the agitated students was beyond his control.

The mob damaged the grandson?s car and the music system in the car later became a mode of entertainment in the hostel.

The police was called, but the principal refused to take any action against the boy. Sahay?s grandson did not lodge a police complaint either and he left the college under heavy security.

Just before the last Assembly elections, the grandson was killed.

Some say it is the handiwork of the coal mafia.

Neither the chief minister?s grandson nor the particular boy is now available for comments. But many other witnesses are now either retired or holding important positions in various fields.