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Patna : Twenty persons including 8 police personnel sustained injuries when an angry mob clashed with police on Ghordaur Road under Rajivnagar police station, Patna, on September 5, 2017, during an anti-encroachment drive undertaken by Patna district administration. The locals said both the sides also exchanged fire. Police, however, said that they had to open fire in self-defence and added that the anti-encroachment drive was being carried out to comply with Patna High Court order.
The clash began when a Patnadistrict administration team reached the colony with force to demolish illegal constructions on the land acquired by Bihar State Housing Board in the seventies. When the Patna district administration team started demolishing illegal constructions, the mob started pelting the cops with stones, who did not expect such a strong reaction from the locals. SHO, Digha police station, was among the eight police personnel injured in the incident.
Soon the situation deteriorated as the mob set afire three JCB machines and a police vehicle and blocked Danapur – Digha main road. As the situation was getting out of control, police made a hasty retreat. DIG, Central Range, Rajesh Kumar, said a team comprising an ADM, Deputy Collector Land Reforms (DCLR) and Housing Board officials had gone to Rajivnagar to remove encroachments but there was heavy stone pelting by the locals resulting in injuries to many cops. The DIG said that an inquiry would be conducted into the September 5 violence. The Rajivnagar land dispute is quite an old.