Bihia incident – 2 SHOs, SI, 6 other cops suspended for dereliction of duty

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : Bhojpur SP Awakash Kumar, on the direction of Police Headquarters, suspended the Station House Officer, Bihia police Station, Kuer Gupta, Station House Officer, Government Rail Police, Ara, Ashok Kumar Singh, SI Tapeshwar Singh, Havildar posted at Bihia railway station, and five other police personnel posted at Bihia police station for dereliction of duty. The SP said had the SHOs been alert and informed their seniors on time, such ugly incident could have been averted.

An FIR has been lodged with Bihia police station in Bhojpur district against 50 named and 300 unnamed persons in connection with disrobing of a woman and arson on August 20, 2018. A separate FIR has also been lodged against unknown persons in connection with murder of Bimlesh Sah. Police had on August 20 itself arrested 16 persons including an RJD leader Kaushal Kishor Yadav from village Zamuaw and adjoining areas in connection with arson and stripping of a woman.

Tension prevails at Bihia following arson and stripping of a middleage woman of scheduled caste community though the officials claimed that the situation was well under control. The entire area has been cordoned off and raids are still going on in the area.

Villagers alleged that police misbehaved with the mother of the deceased when she went to the police station to lodge an FIR in connecting with murder of her son whose father and elder brother have not yet reached Damodarpur from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Villagers also alleged that police remained a silent spectator during disrobing incident. They claimed that when police misbehaved with the aggrieved family, people got angry and some anti social elements and political leaders took advantage of the situation and indulged in arson and disrobing of woman. They alleged  that an RJD leader Kaushal Kishor Yadav was leading the mob right from the beginning.

Bhojpur DM Sanjeev Kumar and the SP Awakash Kumar visited the red light area, saw the burnt shops and other places at Bihia on August 21, 2018, and also checked the video footage. They also visited the house of stripping victim.

Bhojpur SP Awakash Kumar said that after the recovery of body of Bimlesh Sah alias Chhotu Sah, son of Kanesh Kanu of Damodarpur village under Shahpur police station, from the rail track at Bihia railway station just behind the red light areas near Bihia railway station platform No. 1, the villagers and family members of the deceased went on rampage. Hearing the news of death of Bimlesh Sah, his younger sister, Shobha Kumari, died due to shock.

In the meantime, the mob, allegedly provoked by Kaushal Kishor Yadav, holding a middleage woman  responsible for the death of Bimlesh Sah, attacked her house and later disrobed her in full public view and paraded her in the market after thrashing her. The SP said that the mob set ablaze houses and shops and pelted cops with stones injuring at least half a dozen of them including the ASP (operations) Nitin Kumar. The SP warned to attach properties of the named accused if they did not surrender

ASP (operation) Nitin Kumar said that the stripping victim with her three children and  mother-in-law lives at a house near Bihia railway station near the red light area. She ran a theatre ‘Hachal Gudia’ and police had conducted raids at her house in 2012 and added that the police are investigating into the whole incident. He also wondered how  when Bimlesh Sah, who was going to Patna for getting himself admitted in Intermediate course, reached near the red light area ? He said that Bimlesh Sah appears to have been strangulated to death and his body was thrown on the rail track. Bihia, 22 km west of the Bhojpur district headquarters, is known for vegetable markets and and sex racket in guise of theatres.

Bhojpur DM Sanjeev Kumar said that Bimlesh Sah was strangulated to death and a bone of his neck was broken as per the post-mortem report confirmed. When asked about the link of Bimlesh Sah with the red light area, the DM said that is was a matter of investigation.