Dr K K Kaushik
Samastipur : Situation at Tajpur in Samastipur district, where one Jitendra Bhandari of village Bherokhada was killed in firing on October 20, 2017, remained under control on October 21 due to heavy deployment of police in the area.
Jitendra Bhandari was part of a mob which was protesting the murder of medicine shop owner Janardan Thakur, 58, of village Ashahari under Tajpur police station in Samastipur district on October 18, 2017, night, when he was returning home after closing his shop at Tajpur. The mob was also demanding immediate arrest of those involved in kidnapping of a girl recently. They attacked Tajpur police station and set afire five police vehicles besides beating the cops. During the clash between the protesters and police, Jitendra Bhandari died in firing.
The Samastipur SP had, however, claimed that no one was killed in police firing on October 20. But, Dharmendra Kumar, brother of the deceased, has lodged an FIR with Tajpur police station alleging his brother Jitendra was killed in police firing. Police, on the other hand, have lodged an FIR against ten named and around five hundred unmaed accused in connection with attack on Tajpur police station and cops and arson on October 20.
Former Minister and JD(U) Rajya Sabha Member Ramnath Thakur on October 21 said that CM Nitish Kumar has ordered a high level probe into the incident. Jan Adhikar Party patron and Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav also visited Tajpur on October 21 and met the kin of Jitendra Bhandari. The RLSP workers blocked NH 28 at Tajpur on the day to protest the killing of Jitendra.