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Nawada: Former Speaker of Bihar legislative assembly and senior JD (U) leader Uday Narayan Choudhary had to flee for life on February 20, 2018, when villagers attacked him for allegedly politicising the death of a musahar Talo Manjhi, who was dragged out of his hamlet located adjoining Apsarh village and shot dead and his body half burnt by the assailants on February 12, 2018.
Village Apsarh falls under Warisaliganj assembly segment represented by BJP MLA Aruna Devi, wife of Akhilesh Singh, a former gangster of the area. Although police nabbed the accused Dharo Singh and Dharmendra Kumar 36 hours after the crime, JD (U) leaders
and former MLAs namely Kaushal Yadav (Govindpur segment, now represented by his wife Poornima Yadav from the Congress party), and Pradip Mahto (Warisaliganj), Nawada district board member Pinki Bharti from Sirdalla of the JD (U) and now Uday Narayan Choudhary, have continued to politically milk the incident.
Apsarh panchayat mukhia Raj Kumar Singh informed that since Pradip Mahto’s chance of a hattrick in assembly elections was dashed in 2015 assembly elections by Aruna Devi, who won thrice from Warisaliganj, he never loses any opportunity to defame Aruna Devi.
While Kaushal Yadav and Pradip Mahto had held a meeting on February 15, 2018,
at Nawada and passed a resolution condemning the killing of Talo Manjhi, Pinki Bharti’s visit to Apsarh vilage’s musahri tola on February 16 was repulsed and she too had to run for cover following angry protest from the villagers for politicising the incident. And
now Uday Narayan Choudhary had to run for life for the same reason, added Raj Kumar Singh.
According to sources, Uday Naarayan Choudhary visited Apsarh village on February 20 before noon to inquire into the murder of Talo Manjhi.. While he was talking to Talo Manjhi’s daughter and gathering details, a mob of Apsarh villagers shouted slogans “maro
netwa ko” (thrash the leader) and rushed menacingly with lathis and sticks towards the former speaker.
It may be mentioned here that in 2000, 11 persons including children as young as 2 years, were hacked to death at midnight allegedly by members of Ashok Mahto gang. Pradip Mahto too figured as an accused in Warisaliganj PS FIR (85/2000) along with Raj Ballab Yadav and the then SDPO P K Mandal. The victims included Ramlal, brother -in-law (devar) of Aruna Devi and younger brother of Akhilesh Singh. However, Pradip Mahto and Raj Ballabh Yadav were acquitted by the court. Ever since, bitter political rivalry between Pradip Mahto and Aruna Devi has come to stay.