13-year-old ‘nailed’ for stealing fan

A leader of the ruling Janata Dal (United) in Saharsa, north Bihar, has been charged with assaulting and trying to drive a nail through the foot of a 13-year-old he accused of trying to steal a fan. HT reports.

A leader of the ruling Janata Dal (United) in Saharsa, north Bihar, has been charged with assaulting and trying to drive a nail through the foot of a 13-year-old he accused of trying to steal a fan.

HT Image

The police have arrested the boy, Lalu Kumar, a class 7 student, in response to a case lodged against him by Chandramani Bhagat, block president of the JD(U) business cell.

But Bhagat, Lalu’s alleged tormentor, was out of police reach till Friday afternoon even though the victim boy’s father, Sudhir Yadav, too, has lodged a case against the JD (U) leader and his two brothers, alleging they tried to kill his son.

A crowd blocked National Highway 107 for more than three hours on Thursday in protest against the boy’s beating. The incident took political overtones when RJD workers joined the blockade and shouted slogans against the state government.