3-year-old killed, 30 injured in alleged post-panchayat poll violence

A 3-year-old child was kidnapped and killed in Supaul district while 30 people belonging to Mahadalit community sustained injuries in Madhepura.

SUPAUL/MADHEPURA: A 3-year-old boy was kidnapped and killed and 30 people belonging to Mahadalit community sustained minor to severe injuries in separate incidents of alleged post-panchayat poll violence on Saturday in Supaul and Madhepura districts respectively, police said.

The panchayat polls in Bihar were conducted in 11 phases from September 24 to December 12 last year. (Representational Image)

The child, identified as Prince Kumar, grandson of Ganpati Sharma of Chakdumaria village under Sadar police station of Supaul district, was kidnapped on March 15 and police had lodged a case of kidnapping on the complaint of the victim’s grandfather on March 16.

The body was recovered from near the house on Saturday. The complainant alleged that the police did not take any action despite lodging a named FIR. “If the police had taken prompt action, the life of my grandson could have been saved” he said.

He alleged that Jamun Sharma of his village had contested panchayat election last year for the post of mukhiya and lost. He later threatened his family, accusing them of not favouring him in the election. “He threatened us of dire consequences,” he said adding three persons on 2 motorcycles kidnapped his grandson when he was playing outside the house on March 15. He claimed in his FIR that one of the two motorcycles was of Jamun Sharma.

Meanwhile police have taken the son of Jamun Sharma into custody for interrogation. “We have started a probe and soon all those involved in this gruesome incident will be nabbed,” sub divisional police officer Kumar Indra Prakash said. He added the body was handed over to the family after post mortem.

In another incident, 30 people received minor to severe injuries in post-panchayat polls violence at Ward 12 of Laksmipur Chandisthan village under Kumarkhand police station of Madhepura district on Friday. The injured belong to Mahadalit community.

Given the high tension in the village, police forces are camping and Madhepura superintendent of police (SP) Rajesh Kumar has sent senior police officers to the village. “We are probing the incident from angles including post-panchayat poll violence,” SP said adding the injured are undergoing treatment at Madhepura sadar hospital.

Villagers said that Manoj Yadav, Ranjan Yadav, Subhash Yadav and Ashok Yadav along with dozens of others attacked them when they were celebrating Holi on Friday.

“They have been accusing us for the defeat if ward member and finding a chance they attacked us with conventional weapons when we were celebrating Holi” the people belonging to mahadalit community alleged.

One of the injured Chhotu Das alleged that police had not taken their threat perception seriously. “Police have become active after the incident,” he alleged and said, “If the police had been serious such an incident could have been averted.”

The panchayat polls in Bihar to fill up 2.55 lakh posts were conducted in 11 phases, from September 24 to December 12 last year.