Nitish assaulted, 30-yr-old man detained: Police

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused lost his job during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and has been unemployed since, said an official, adding the man was also going through a divorce.

A 30-year-old man was detained on Sunday for assaulting Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar during an event in his hometown Bakhtiyarpur near Patna, police said.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (HT_PRINT)

A viral video of the incident purportedly showed the attack taking place as the chief minister was about to pay his respects to the statue of Shilbhadra Yaji, a noted freedom fighter, at a community health centre at Bakhtiyarpur Bazar. The man was seen walking up the dais and striking Kumar. He was immediately caught by the security personnel. Another footage showed the alleged assailant being dragged away by the policemen.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused lost his job during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and has been unemployed since, said an official, adding the man was also going through a divorce.

Patna senior superintendent of police M S Dhillon said prima facie the accused appeared to be specially abled. “An FIR will be lodged after proper interrogation and investigation,” he added. The matter of security lapse is also being looked into, another official added.