B N Singh Papan
Saharsa : Armd criminals entered Murtiya Bahiyara under Salkhua block in Saharsa district on January 5 and set ablaze the houses of 150 mahadalit families after looting their belonging with a view to capture the land on which they were living for years.
Murtiya Bahiyara is located inside East Kosi Embankment under Chiraiya police outpost (OP). Officials of Bakhtiarpur circle reached the place and have started investigation into the incident. Murtiya Bahiyar is located just 1/2 km away from Chiraiya OP. The goons first asked the mahadalits to come out of their houses at gun point and then set their houses afire. When the villagers resisted them, criminals assaulted them with rifle butts.
Bindo Devi, Gita Devi, Hira Devi and Mira Devi said the goons carrying arms entered their village on January 5 night when the villagers were sleeping and started demolishing their houses and soon razed to ground 150 houses and set afire several of them. Chiraiya OP SI Sunil Yadav reached the village with force to inquire into the matter. Almost all the males of the village have moved to Salkhua.
On January 6, Inspector of Bakhtiarpur police station R K Sharan and Chiraya OP incharge Rajiv Lal Pandit visited Murtiya. Salkhua CO Sanjay Kumar Mahto, who reached there on January 6 evening, said the land belongs to the government which the goons want to capture