Mob blocks Ara – Sasaram road to protest murder of 2 journalists

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : Hundreds of rate villagers blocked the Ara-Sasaram main road near village Garhani under Garhani police station in Bhojpur district for about four hours on March 26, 2018, paralysing the movement of vehicles in protest against murder of two journalists :Navin Nishchal and Vijay Singh, on March 25, 2018, evening. They raised slogans against Bhojpur district administration and demanded immediate arrest of the miscreants. Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters. Police Have, meanwhile, arrested Harsu Mian in connection with the twin murder and are searching for his son Dabloo.

Two motorcycle borne persons were going home at village Nahasi Bagawa in the late evening on March 25, 2018, and when they reached near Nahsi Mor on Ara-Sasaram main road under Garhani police station, a speeding Scorpio dashed their bike from behind killing both of them on spot. The miscreants themselves set their Scorpio ablaze with a view to erasing evidence.

The deceased were identified as Vijay Singh and Navin Nishchal of village Nahasi Bagawa  under Garhani police station. Navin Nishchal was a block level reporter of a Hindi daily while Vijay Singh was writing for a magazine. A named FIR was lodged with Garhani police station against Harshu Mian, husband of a former mukhia, Shaheeda Praveen, his son Dabloo and two others in this connection.

The villagers alleged that Harshu Mian had some heated exchange with Navin Nishchal in the evening on March 25, 2018, and later he himself drove his vehicle and crushed Navin and Vijay to death.

Bhojpur SP Awakash Kumar said that the incident took place when both the deceased were going to Nahasi-Bagawa from Garhani on their motorcycle. He said that police were camping at the village and said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed on the direction of the Zonal IG, Nayyar Hasnain Khan, and a team of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has reached Garhani. Informed sources said that the FSL team has got some important clues regarding twin murder.

The SP further attributed the incident to a conspiracy and said a thorough investigation was on. The SP said that police had arrested one of the named accused.