CM's janata durbar: women complainants create ruckus

High drama marked the Janata ke Durbar Mein Mukhyamantri programme in Patna on Monday with several women complainants creating disturbance on a number of occasions to air their dissatisfaction over their failure to get justice.

High drama marked the Janata ke Durbar Mein Mukhyamantri programme in Patna on Monday with several women complainants creating disturbance on a number of occasions to air their dissatisfaction over their failure to get justice.

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The non-redressal of their grievances at the lower level and the process of being redirected to the police officials time and again particularly annoyed them.

"After all, whose doors shall we knock," said Indra Kala Devi, as the police officers on duty tried to show her the way out after she had pleaded her case with chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Devi, a native of Keoti in Dabhanga, alleged that some strongmen of her village had forcibly occupied her land some 10 years back. She had been representing her case with the concerned officers, but nothing has happened.

When the CM, directed her to explain her case to a police officer, she was not ready to budge. She alleged, that the officers were corrupt and the CM was taking no action.

In the commotion, the process was disturbed for a full 20 minutes.

Principal secretary to the CM, Anjani Singh, secretary to CM Atish Chandra, Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh and others had a tough time restoring order.

But the calm was once again broken by a group of three women - Rekha Devi, Sanju Devi and Pratima Devi of Ramkrishna Nagar - who had come with a complaint that Kamta Singh, Ashok Singh and Baiju Singh had allegedly grabbed their lands.

Once the CM redirected their case to a police officer, they simply squatted before him saying "we will not meet the police officials. We have come here twice. We want justice."

Usha Devi of Jagdishpur and Manju Devi of Khgaul had come to get justice for their daughters and displayed their open dissatisfaction over the dealy in getting justice.

Akhilesh Kumar Singh, an army man posted at Danapur, wanted justice for his daughter, who was murdered by her in-laws and the police action was being delayed due to political interference.

When Raju Rajak, brother of late Rudal Rajak-who died in police custody in Patrakarnagar, abruptly threw his file after explaining his case, the CM stopped police personnel from interfering in the matter saying "let him have his share of the press conference."

Later, the CM said "I will not be deterred by small incidents and continue the programme that is aimed at providing an alternative platform for redressal. There is, however, a process that needs to be followed in certain matters, which cannot be compromised."

Responding to a question regarding the growing number of complaints against the police, after the Janata Durbar, the chief minister said "rising population brings along several societal complexities. I am trying to improve the police: public ratio to improve policing and proper investigation. The system of separating law and order and investigation has been done in Patna and will be extended to other districts soon."