Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) I, Ara, Ramesh Chandra Dwivedi on November 28, 2018, convicted 20 persons for riot and stripping of a woman at Bihia in Bhojpur district in August 2018 and fixed November 30, 2018, for pronouncing the quantum of punishment.
Advocate Satyendra Singh Dara said that the ADJ I held 15 named accused guilty of spreading riot and under SC/ST Act also found 5 persons guilty of spreading riot and disrobing a woman. He said that the court would announce quantum of punishment on November 30.
Bhojpur DM Sanjeev Kumar said that after body of a youth Bimlesh Sah alias Chhotu Sah, son of Kanesh Kanu of village Damodarpur under Shahpur police station in Bhojpur district, was found on the railway track close to a red light area near Bihia railway station under Danapur Division of the East Central Railway (ECR), Hajipur, on August 20, 2018, the residents of the area went on rampage and set ablaze at least half a dozen makeshift shops as well as other shops at Bihia.They entered a house in red light area near Bihia railway station, caught a woman who ran a theatre ‘Halchal Gudia’, stripped her, thrashed her and also paraded her on the road in full public view holding her responsible for the murder of the youth even as she kept pleading she had nothing to do with the murder.
The mob also shooed away police personnel when they tried to pacify the protesters forcing police to open fire to disperse them. Bimlesh Sah’s sister Shobha Kumari also died due to shock after receiving the news of her brother’s death. Bihia, 28 km west of the Bhojpur district headquarters Ara, is known for vegetable markets.
ASP (operations) Nitin Kumar said that on the direction of Police Headquarters, the then Bhojpur SP Awakash Kumar had suspended the Station House Officer, Bihia police station, Kuer Gupta, SHO, Ara Government Rail Police, Ashok Kumar Singh, SI Tapeshwar Singh, a Havildar posted at Bihia railway station, and five other cops posted at Bihia police station for dereliction of duty.
Later on the basis of CCTV footage, an FIR was lodged with Bihia police station against 50 named and 300 unnamed persons in connection with disrobing of woman and arson. A separate FIR was also lodged against unknown persons in connection with murder of Bimlesh Sah. Police arrested 16 persons including an RJD leader Kaushal Kishor Yadav from village Jamuaw in connection with arson and disrobing of a woman.