Bihar journalist’s murder accused a repeat offender

The accused, Harshu Miyan, has several cases against him including that of inciting communal riot, rioting and outraging the modesty of a woman.

Ahmad Ali alias Harshu Miyan (55), a former paramilitary jawan arrested for allegedly murdering a journalist, Navin Singh and his friend Vijay Singh in Bihar’s Bhojpur district Sunday night, is a history-sheeter, police investigations have revealed.

Ahmad Ali alias Harshu Miyan was arrested for allegedly murdering a journalist (HT Photo)

Harshu Mian and his son, Dabloo had allegedly rammed their SUV into the two men who were on a motorcycle with a clear motive to eliminate them when they were returning home. The duo died on the spot.

Harshu Miyan, whose wife, Saheeda Perveen is a former village head of Garhani, was arrested within hours of the incident while Dabloo is still at large. Though the FIR lodged by the slain journalist’s brother, Rajesh Kumar Singh does not mention reason behind the murders, people familiar with the case said that Harshu was apparently displeased by some news Navin had filed and the duo reportedly had heated arguments on the issue.

On Sunday, Navin, who worked with a prominent Hindi daily, and his friend had visited Garhani village where they reportedly had a heated argument with Harshu Mian and his family members, eyewitnesses told the police.

“We are interrogating the accused. So far he has accepted that he was at the wheels when the vehicle hit the journalist’s motorbike. He hasn’t spilled the beans yet. We are cross verifying his statements,” Bhojpur SP Awakash Kumar said.

The SHO of Garahni police station Shamim Ahmad said that police were working on several angles. “At present it would be difficult to give the reasons that led to the journalist and his friend’s murder,” he said.

In his FIR, Rajesh had also mentioned that after committing the murder, Harshu and his son had themselves set their SUV ablaze.

Harshu Mian first fell foul of the law in 2013. According to the police, in July, 2013 a quarrel between two boys of different communities during a football match in Garhani that took an ugly turn when elders jumped into the dispute and began exchanging blows. Soon it flared up into a communal riot.

The Charpokhri police station authorities had then lodged two separate cases on July 5, 2013 and in both cases Harshu Miyan was named an accused for inciting people and indulging in riots.

Two days later another FIR was lodged against Harshu Miyan for assaulting a man. In all these three cases police has submitted charge sheet against Harshu. Harshu was jailed briefly before he came out on bail. The cases are still in trial stage.

Four years later, in 2017, Harshu Miyan was again booked after a woman lodged a case against him alleging he outraged her modesty and tried to bully her family for extortion. Since the complainant is a member of a scheduled caste, a case under SC/ST Atrocities Act was also invoked against him.