BETTIAH: Bihar’s Mainatand police arrested a notorious criminal along with three other associates for allegedly
ransacking and setting a farmhouse on fire at a place in West Champaran district, police said on Saturday evening.
Confirming the arrest, Dr. Shaurya Suman, superintendent of police (SP), Bettiah said all the four people were arrested following the receipt of the complaint about the vandalism and arson occurred at the farmhouse of Mohammad Zeeshan Zulfekar, a farmer, at Chiutaha village which falls under Mainatand police station on Friday.
“Shashak Pandey along with 17 known and 100-200 unknown stormed into the farmhouse of Mohammad Zeeshan Zulfekar and caused extensive damages. He along with three others have been arrested and sent to jail in this connection. Further investigation into the matter is underway,” the superintendent of police said.
Police named the other arrested persons as Avinash Mishra, Hariraj Manjhi and Raghu Manjhi -residents of Chiutaha village in Maintand block of West Champaran.
Talking. to HT over phone, Zulfekar said he was being pressured by Shashak Pandey to forfeit his farmhouse to him. “Pandey was trying to grab our property and threatening us of dire consequences if failed to toe the line. On Friday, around 200 people entered armed with sharp weapons and unleashed a reign of terror, breaking down the walls and setting the farmhouse on fire. Our wheat and paddy all were reduced to ashes,” said Zulfekar.
{{/usCountry}}Talking. to HT over phone, Zulfekar said he was being pressured by Shashak Pandey to forfeit his farmhouse to him. “Pandey was trying to grab our property and threatening us of dire consequences if failed to toe the line. On Friday, around 200 people entered armed with sharp weapons and unleashed a reign of terror, breaking down the walls and setting the farmhouse on fire. Our wheat and paddy all were reduced to ashes,” said Zulfekar.
{{/usCountry}}Pandey was earlier arrested from Raxaul in East Champaran on charges of being linked to the Bishnoi gang after ge reached Raxaul from Dubai via Kathmandu on October 22, 2023. He was reportedly wanted in a ₹one crore jewelry loot in Jaipur, besides a case registered with Ambala police station in Punjab for demanding ransom of ₹50 lakh from Makhakhan Singh Lawana, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader.