Bihar violence: Fresh explosion in Sasaram, ban on mobile internet extended

Paramilitary forces have been deployed in the affected areas in Nalanda, where a 16-year-old boy in Bihar Sahrif succumbed to injury sustained in the violence.

The suspension of mobile internet services in Rohtas and Nalanda districts of Bihar, which were hit by communal violence in the wake of Ram Navami celebrations, has been extended for 48 hours, till Tuesday midnight, even as an explosion in Sasaram town of Rohtas early Monday morning threatened to shatter the fragile peace that has begun returning to the affected areas, officials said.

Police keep vigil in Bihar Sharif on Monday. (HT Photo)

Read here: Bihar assembly adjourned after uproar over clashes on Ram Navami

“The ban on mobile internet has been extended till Tuesday midnight and prohibitory orders also continued further. Schools, colleges and coaching institutes will remained shut till April 4,” Nalanda superintendent of police (SP) Ashok Mishra said.

Mobile internet services were suspended on Friday, when the clashes broke out.

Since Sunday, no fresh incident of violence was reported from Nalanda and Rohtas, officials said.

Paramilitary forces have been deployed in the affected areas in Nalanda district, where a 16-year-old boy in Bihar Sahrif town succumbed to injuries sustained in the violence earlier.

SP Mishra told HT that at least 15 FIRs have been lodged and 130 people arrested so far in the district.

Late Sunday evening, Bihar police chief R S Bhatti visited Bihar Sharif, accompanied by Patna range IG Rakesh Rathee and divisional commissioner Kumar Ravi.

In Sasaram town, residents of Mochi Tola woke up around 4.30 am to the sound of an explosion.

Rohtas SP Vineet said, “We received information about 5 am that someone exploded a bomb outside the house of one Manauwar Raine. When the police team reached the spot, it found some miscreants had used a firecracker.”

Rohtas district magistrate (DM) Dharmendra Kumar told HT that 27 schools, colleges and coaching institutes in Sasaram town will remain shut till April 4 and mobile internet service will remain suspended till Tuesday.

Kumar said 43 people have been arrested so far and three FIRs have been registered with Sasaram town police station in connection with the violence.

Meanwhile, Chhedi Paswan, the Lok Sabha member from Sasaram, demanded an NIA probe into the bomb explosion that took place on Saturday evening in which six persons were injured. “I suspect the bomb was intended for use in union home minister Amit Shah’s function scheduled on April 2 but called off,” he said in a letter addressed to the union home minister, which has been seen by HT.

Body found in Bihar Sharif

On Monday evening, body of a man, apparently in his 60s, was found in Bazar Samiti locality of Bihar Sharif town, barely two kilometres from Gagan Diwan locality, the site of violence on Friday, police said.

ADG (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said the body was yet to be identified, but there was no injury mark on it. The autopsy will ascertain the cause of death, he said.

Read here: ‘Will straighten rioters after putting them...’: Amit Shah in Bihar

Meanwhile, Nalanda DM Shashank Shubhankar said a forensic team was collecting evidence from a famous madrasa which was gutted in arson during the violence, along with books in its library.

“The library is situated inside the madrasa and I can’t comment how many books were there and how old were they,” he said.