Boarder loses life in hostel revenge clash

The revenge drama ticking off for 16 months has claimed another victim.

After a week-long lull, the Bhikhna Pahadi locality rose again to chaos and protests after 18-year-old Raja Mehta, who was allegedly beaten up by the boarders of Patel Hostel, succumbed to his injuries at Patna Medical College Hospital late on Wednesday evening.

Local residents of the area blocked all the roads leading to the area, attacked a few vehicles while demanding that the hostel, which had been evicted by the police last week, be demolished once and for all.

Police sources said the recent violence could be an act of revenge. “On March 11 last year, a boarder at the hostel, identified as Rajesh Kumar and a student of Patna College, was shot dead by a mob allegedly belonging to the Chaitola locality. There was a major fight between the local residents and boarders after the latter had argued with some people of the locality over a trivial issue and had beaten up some of them there,” an officer at the Kadamkuan police station told The Telegraph.

He added: “The March 11 night saw hundreds of people suddenly raiding the hostel and the boarders were fired at. Rajesh, who allegedly did not have anything to do with the fighting, was hit by a bullet and died on the spot. The police arrested a few people, including one Subodh Mehta, Raja’s father. They own a tent house at the Bhikhna Pahadi Mor, which lies at a distance of around 500m from the hostel. It is after almost 16 months now that Raja was chosen and attacked. Though investigations are still on there is a chance that the boarders, during the fight, specially chose Raja and beat him badly to avenge Rajesh’s death. The deceased’s father is still in jail.”

With Raja’s body arriving on Thursday morning, the local people blocked the road with his body and started protesting following which the police rushed to the spot in order to avoid any tension or clashes. “The police are alert and a lot of force has been pumped into the area as a precaution. The people were protesting demanding the arrest of those involved in the attack of last week,” the police officer said.

Sardar Patel Hostel is a private property being run by Patel Sewa Sangh, an NGO. The hostel houses around 200 students who come from a specific caste and study in different colleges and institutions in the city.