Madhubani killings: RJD, Cong raise the heat

Stepping up attack on the Nitish Kumar government over the recent killing of five persons, including an assistant sub-inspector of the Border Security Force (BSF), at a village in Madhubani district, the Opposition on Wednesday accused the state administration of giving patronage to the accused and demanded a fair probe

Stepping up attack on the Nitish Kumar government over the recent killing of five persons, including an assistant sub-inspector of the Border Security Force (BSF), at a village in Madhubani district, the Opposition on Wednesday accused the state administration of giving patronage to the accused and demanded a fair probe.

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Leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who visited the victim’s family at Mahmudpur village, sought a probe into the alleged links between BJP MLA from Benipatti Binod Narayan Jha and the main accused in the case, Pravin Jha , who allegedly runs a private army called Ravan Sena and was arrested from Nepal on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Yadav said, “Neither chief minister Nitish Kumar nor the deputy chief ministers visited the village. It was only after I visited the site of incident and talked with the family of the deceased that the main accused was arrested. It shows the government only acted when there was pressure from the opposition.”

He also alleged that the police and state administration were giving patronage to “Ravan Sena” chief all these days after the incident took place on March 29 because of Jha’s political links. “I was told by family members of the deceased and locals about BJP MLA Binod Narayan Jha’s close links with the Sena chief. We want police to seek call details of the BJP MLA and probe his alleged links with the main accused,” Yadav said.

The RJD scion also demanded immediate removal of the district’s superintendent of police (SP) and the deputy SP, saying the kingpin enjoyed close proximity to them.

The BJP MLA has dismissed the charge. “Criminals have no caste. I have never had links with such people and can never dream of keeping any such association. I want those involved in the killings to get death punishment,” Jha said.

Meanwhile, a six-member fact-finding team of the state Congress, led by former minister Awadhesh Kumar Singh, said the bloodshed could have been averted had the district authorities responded swiftly and reached the spot on time. “The incident happened barely three kilometres from the subdivisional office of Benipatti, but the police took four hours to reach there despite frantic calls made by the villagers,” Singh said.

The Madhubani massacre has snowballed into a major issue in the state and even the constituents of the ruling alliance had questioned the role of police.

Forest and environment department minister Neeraj Kumar Singh alias Bablu, who visited the village a week after the incident, said, “This is not an ordinary crime. Yet, no action against the police officials was taken.”

A delegation of JD(U) leaders led by former minister Jai Kumar Singh also met the victim’s family and later briefed the CM about the incident.

On Tuesday, the CM has said no one involved in the killings would be spared.

On the day of Holi on March 29, around 35 armed men had opened fire on the family of one Ranvijay Singh over a land dispute in the village. Singh and his cousin brother Virendra Singh were killed on the spot. Three other family members, BSF officer Rana Pratap Singh, Amrendra Singh and Rudra narayan Singh, succumbed to injuries a day later.

Another injured person, Manoj Singh, is currently being treated at the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.

The police said that about a dozen persons, including the main accused in the case Navin Jha, have been arrested so far.