Katihar firing: Congress, CPI(ML) condemn police action, demand stern action

Sonu Saw (29) and Khurshid (28) were killed on the spot after the police allegedly fired at them to disperse the local crowd gathered at the local power substation

A delegation of state Congress, led by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan, on Friday, sought immediate sacking of the sub-divisional officer (SDO) and the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Barsoi in Bihar’s Katihar district for resorting to firing on a crowd agitating for regular power supply in the division on Wednesday that led to the death of two persons.

Potest erupts in Katihar, Bihar after two persons were killed in police firing (Twitter/PTI)

Sonu Sah (29) and Khurshid Alam (28) were killed after the police allegedly fired at them to disperse the local crowd gathered at the local power substation. The crowd had turned up to Gherao the local electricity office against frequent and prolonged load-shedding, irregularities in billing and inordinate delay in the supply of electricity equipment.

Alam of Kachna village was an electric auto driver, while Sah of Bhagat Tola had gone there to drop his brother, who is a clerk at the local electricity office.

A press release issued by police headquarters on Wednesday said that a mob of around 1000 people had indulged in violent protests at the electricity office located in the premises of sub-divisional office, Barsoi. The statement added that the police resorted to firing in “self-defence” after the mob turned violent and went out of control. 12 policemen and staff of the electricity department also sustained injuries, the statement said.

The Congress fact-finding team, which also comprised MLA Vishwanath Ram (of Rajpur) and Izharul Hasan (Kishanganj), former MLA Sunita Devi and district president Sunil Yadav, claimed that the situation could have been handled in a better way and firing could have been avoided.

“Senior officers of the district administration were not aware of any agitation, which was building up for about the past fortnight due to prolonged power cuts in the area,” claimed Khan.

Besides adequate compensation to the deceased families, the delegation demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident, adequate availability of power supply equipment, such as transmission wires and transformers and an effective mechanism to deal with the complaints of exorbitant billing for power consumption.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, another constituent of the ruling Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), also held the local administration responsible for the death of the two individuals and demanded action against the officials responsible for the incident. It had also set up a committee led by party legislator Sudama Prasad to inquire into the incident.

Mahboob Alam, a central committee member and Balrampur MLA said, “It is a failure of the state government which is responsible for firing on innocent people. Why wasn’t the district police prepared to control large crowds? The police fired at innocent boys who were running to save themselves. Who fired those shots? It should be investigated thoroughly. I condemn this incident in the strongest possible manner.”

The chief minister’s office, meanwhile, also released a string of video clips, showing youths indulging in ransacking the electricity office.

Meanwhile, the Bihar government on Thursday sought a report from the district magistrate and the Katihar district superintendent of police over the incident, a senior official said, PTI reported.

Addressing a press conference, additional director general of police JS Gangwar said a joint investigation report has been sought on the incident, and the two officers have been asked to submit it at the earliest, reported PTI.