Bihar: Processionists held for assault, loot bid
The woman, along with her son and three relatives, was returning home at Dummar from Purnia in a Scorpio when armed people in the Muharram procession attacked their vehicle and looted cash and mobile phones.
Over two dozens members of a Muharram procession have been arrested for allegedly attacking occupants of a vehicle on national highway 31 near in Katihar district late Friday evening, leaving five people injured, including an ailing woman, the police said.
The incident took place near Musapur under Kodha police station limits.
The woman, along with her son and three relatives, was returning home at Dummar from Purnia in a Scorpio when armed people in the Muharram procession attacked their vehicle and looted cash and mobile phones.
Police have lodged two FIRs, one by Kodha block development officer (BDO) and the other by Scorpio owner Md Wasim, who was also driving the vehicle at the time.
Katihar superintendent of police (SP) Vikash Kumar said, “Around two dozen accused have been arrested and raids are being carried out to arrest the others.”
Md Masood Alam, one of the occupants of the vehicle, said, “We were returning from Purnia after the treatment of my mother when people in Muharram procession stopped us and started raining lathis on the vehicle. They assaulted us and looted ₹7,000 and a mobile phone.”
All five injured are undergoing treatment at community health Centre (CHC) at Kodha.
At present, religious processions are banned in Bihar due to Covid-19.
Police sources said there were over 200 people in the procession and they were trying to identify them from various sources, including the CCTV footages.