Bihar magistrate on exam duty thrashed by examinees at Banka: Police

Police have identified the magistrate as Pankaj Kumar Jaiswal, posted as block welfare officer (BWO) at Amarpur block of Banka district and was deputed as magistrate at Harihar Choudhary High School Barahat

A magistrate deputed at an intermediate examination centre in Bihar’s Banka district was allegedly assaulted and thrashed by a group of 15 -20 examinees on Monday evening in which he sustained serious injuries.

The magistrate is undergoing treatment at Mayaganj hospital in Bhagalpur (Representative Photo)

Police have identified the magistrate as Pankaj Kumar Jaiswal, posted as block welfare officer (BWO) at Amarpur block of Banka district and was assigned to Harihar Choudhary High School Barahat.

The magistrate is undergoing treatment at Mayaganj hospital in Bhagalpur after he sustained serious injuries in his eye, police said.

“I can’t say why I was thrashed, and I am afraid I may lose my eyesight,” the magistrate said while speaking to the media persons in the hospital. “I tried to discharge my duty honestly,” he said.

According to the police, as soon as the magistrate came out of the centre on Monday evening, some 15 to 20 students, mostly examinees, attacked him with sticks and iron rods.

Police said that somehow Jaiswal managed to call the ambulance and he was rushed to the local primary health centre (PHC), from where the doctor referred him to Bhagalpur for better treatment.

“We have lodged an FIR [first information report] based on the complaint of the magistrate,” said station house officer (SHO) Satish Kumar. He said the police are trying ascertain the reason behind the incident.

“The students involved in the brutal assault on the magistrate were from High School Jaipur Katoria,” SHO Kumar said, adding those involved in the incident will soon be arrested.