B N Singh ” Pappan”
Saharsa : Pappu Dev, a strongman of Kosi Division in North Bihar, died under controversial circumstances in the wee hours on December 19, 2021, after an encounter with police at village Bihra under Bihra police station (PS) in Saharsa District . Police have arrested around 10 associates of Pappu Dev. Pappu Dev was a native of village Bihra.
Police claimed that notorious Pappu Dev died at 4 am at Sadar Hospital, Saharsa, where he was admitted to after complaining of pain in chest soon after his arrest at Bihra in the wee hours on December 19, 2021. Police claimed that they arrested Pappu Dev at Bihra after he fell down while trying to scale a wall carrying his rifle. But, Pappu’s uncle Shaligram Dev, a BJP leader, alleged that his nephew died due to police torture after arrest. Shaligram Dev said that Pappu Dev had been acquitted by the court in all the cases and was doing social service.
Police on December 18, 2021, evening, received information that Pappu Dev and his men carrying firearms were forcibly trying to capture a plot at village Sarahi under Town PS, Saharsa. Police soon reached there and arrested three associates of Pappu Dev during raid. But, the remaining persons escaped from there. Police recovered a pistol, 13 live cartridges from the spot. The arrested miscreants told police that the remaining persons had escaped on two Scorpio with firearms.
Police reached Bihra and conducted raid at Pappu Dev’s house there and arrested two persons. Pappu Dev was not found at his house. When police inquired from them the whereabouts of Pappu Dev they were informed that he was sleeping at the house of one Umesh Thakur located near a brick-kiln. When police conducted raid there, Pappu Dev and his associates allegedly fired on them. Police also retaliated in self-defence.
Finding himself surrounded by police, Pappu Cev tried to escape with his rifle but fell down while scaling a wall and was arrested. Soon after his arrest, Pappu Dev complained of pain in chest and admitted to Sadar Hospital at 2.05 am. At 3.10 am, the doctors asked police to take him outside for better treatment. Police soon arranged for an ambulance to take him to either Darbhanga Medical College Hospital (DMCH) or Patna Medical College Hosputal (PMCH) but before he could be shifted to other hospital, the doctors declared him dead at 4 am. On the direction of Saharsa SP, a Medical Board was constituted to perform the Post-mortem process which would be videographed.
Police seized an automatic rifle, 3 pistols, 3 countrymade pistols, and 47 cartridges during the raids. Post
(file photo : Pappu Dev)