Two persons, including a minor, were lynched by a mob on Wednesday in Nalanda district of Bihar on suspicion of being involved in the killing of a local Rashtriya Janata Dal leader.
A member of RJD’s SC/ST cell Indal Paswan of Maghra village under Deep Nagar police station of Nalanda district was killed on Tuesday night.
“Indal Paswan had a shop selling construction material and he had a heated argument with someone on Tuesday evening... he was shot dead when he was returning home from a funeral,” Deep Nagar Police station in-charge Dharmendra Kumar said.
The RJD leader’s killing triggered a massive outrage among locals and his supporters, who staged a protest at the district headquarters Biharsharief and shouted slogan against the Nitish Kumar government. Nalanda is the home district of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Later, the protesting mob attacked the house of two suspects Raj Kumar Malakar, 40 and Ranjan Kumar, 15, and beat them up. Ranjan Kumar died on the spot, while Raj Kumar Malakar alias Santu Malakar, succumbed to his injuries on the way to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
The mob also set houses of two more suspects, Naresh Choudhury and Chunni Lal Paswan, on fire.
Senior police officials from Patna and Biharsharief reached the spot and brought the situation under control. “Nobody involved in the killing will be spared… speedy trial will be initiated,” said Patna range Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajesh Kumar, who visited the spot. Nalanda Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Podika too is camping in the area to oversee the law and order situation.
Meanwhile, a video of person being beaten to death allegedly for smuggling cattle in the Sikti area in the border district of Araria went viral on Wednesday. Sikti is located on the border with Nepal. Mohd. Kabul Ansari was accused of smuggling cattle across the border. The incident is said to have happened on Saturday night.
Local police said Ansari had a criminal past. “We too have received the video clip and are verifying it,” said a district police official.