Villagers set ablaze shops, stalls after police recover body of missing man in Bhojpur

Kumar Rajiv  Nayan

Ara : Police on April 24, 2019, morning, recovered the body of a missing middleage farmer near a drain on the outskirts of village Dev under Sikarhatta police station in Bhojpur district triggering strong protest from the villagers who blocked Kurmuri-Tarari main road  with the body. They burnt tyres on road paralysing movement of vehicles raising slogans against the district administration.

When the police went to remove the blockade, the villagers said that the blockade would continue till Bhojpiur SP Aditya Kumar reaches the spot. The deceased was identified as Aniruddh Singh, 52, son of late Laxman Singh of village Chanda under Sikarhatta police station. An FIR has been lodged with Sikarhatta police station in this connection but police remain clueless in the case.

Meanwhile, some anti-social elements damaged roadside makeshift stalls and set ablaze three motorcycles, a house, and some shops. They also pelted the cops with stones forcing them to resort to mild lathi charge besides firing in the air.

SHO, Sikarhatta police station,  said that Aniruddh Singh had gone to the market to buy some green vegetables on April 17, 2019, and after keeping the vegetables at a shop, he went to village Dev in the evening the same day but did not return till next day. Rahul Singh, son of Aniruddh Singh, lodged an FIR with Sikarhtta police station in this connection on April 18, 2019. He said that the police recovered the lacerated body half buried near a bridge at Dev village on April 24 morning.

The SHO said the protesters held the residents of Dev village for the murder and went on rampage setting ablaze a number of shops, damaging makeshift stalls, motorcycles, and a house and added when the police tried to pacify them, they pelted them with stones forcing police to use mild force and also fire in the air disperse the anti-social elements.

Rahul Singh alleged that the police remained inactive even after he instituted an FIR after his father went missing. He suspected that some liquor smugglers might have killed his father as he had caught a liquor smuggler and handed him over to police recently.