A day after a Bihar police official from Kishanganj district was lynched in West Bengal’s north Dinajpur district while conducting raid in a motorbike theft case, seven policemen were suspended on Sunday for dereliction of duty.
The suspended policemen were accompanying the Kishanganj town police Station House Officer Ashwini Kumar, a 1994 batch officer, while conducting raid at Pantapada village under Goalpokhar police station of north Dinajpur district of West Bengal early on Saturday. Apart from Mr. Kumar, all others escaped unhurt while the SHO who was leading the raiding team, was caught and lynched by a mob.
The SHO was brutally beaten with sticks and stones and was declared brought dead at the local Islampur sadar hospital.
The police official allegedly got no support from the local West Bengal police during the raid. Kishanganj district of north-east Bihar shares a border with North Dinajpur district.
On the recommendation of Kishanganj Superintendent of Police Kumar Ashish, the Purnia range Inspector General of Police Suresh Kumar Chowdhury suspended the policemen on the charge of dereliction of duty.
The suspended cops are Raju Sahni, Akhileshwar Tiwari, Pramod Kumar Paswan, Ujjwal Kumar Paswan, Sunil Chaudhury, Sushil Kumar and Manish Kumar.
“Departmental action too will be initiated against these suspended cops with strict punishment,” Kishanganj SP told local media persons.
Later, the West Bengal police arrested three persons identified as Firoze Alam, Abuzar Alam and Sahinoor Khatoon in the case.
On Sunday, Urmila Devi, mother of the deceased SHO, passed away after hearing the news of her son’s death. The officer and his mother were cremated together in their native Purnia district.
