Tension in Madhubani village over Shivling dispute, 1 killed

Villagers claimed that the situation worsened when a shopkeeper died in the melee that ensued after civil and police officials went to Khojpur village in Madhubani district to take possession of a disputed Shivling.

Patna Tension prevailed in a village of north Bihar’s Madhubani district after locals clashed with civil and police officials who had gone there to take possession of a disputed Shivling (religious stone worshipped as lord Shiva by the Hindus) late Wednesday night.

A JCB payloader was among five vehicles set on fire by angry villagers at Khojpur in Madhubani district. (File photo)

The incident took place at Khojpur village in Babubarhi police station area of the district, 213 kms north of Patna.

Villagers claimed that the situation worsened when a shopkeeper died in the melee that ensued after police fired in the air and resorted to batoncharge.

While villagers said shopkeeper Mangan Sahu died after being hit and dragged some distance by the vehicle of Madhubani sadar sub-divisional officer, Babubarhi station house officer (SHO) Pankaj Anand said the exact cause of death would be known only after post-mortem examination.

Anand also denied firing and batoncharge by police.

Enraged over Sahu’s death, the villagers set on fire two vehicles of police, one of block development officer, a fire tender and a JCB payloader, forcing the team of police and administration to retreat. On Thursday, they blocked the Khutauna-Babubarhi road by placing the body of Sahu there.

Anand said trouble had been brewing between people of Khojpur and Nauka Tola in neighbouring Bela panchayat since April 5 when the Shivling was recovered during digging of soil.

“The people of Khojpur later placed the Shivling on the premises of Somnath temple in the village. Villagers of Bela later launched a series of dharna and protests, claiming that the place from where the Shivling was found was under the jurisdiction of their village. A peace committee was subsequently formed to resolve the dispute. Following a series of meeting of the peace committee, the villagers agreed that the administration would take possession of the Shivling to resolve the row,” he said.

The trouble began when villagers of Khojpur resisted the administration’s move to take possession of the disputed Shivling, the SHO said, adding that the team had gone to the village late in the night to avoid any untoward incident.

BLURB

Trouble had been brewing between people of Khojpur and Nauka Tola in Bela panchayat of Madhubani district since April 5 when the Shivling was recovered during digging of soil