Buxar boy drowns as many people visit UP border to access internet

PATNA/BUXAR: A 14-year-old boy of Buxar drowned in the Ganga on Monday morning while taking a bath after returning with his friends by a steamboat from Ujjiarghat in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, where they had gone to access internet owing to its shutdown in 20 districts of Bihar, including Buxar, in view of the anti-Agnipath protests. Many people of other neighbouring districts also went to UP border to access internet.
The deceased was identified as Prakash Kumar, the son of Hanuman Singh of Koirpurva locality under Model police station area in Buxar town. Prakash was taking a bath at Jahaj ghat in Buxar after returning with his four other friends from Balia by a steamboat," Sadar SDPO Gorakh Ram said and added, "Three of his friends had returned to Buxar while the two stayed for taking a bath. Prakash's body was fished out of the river after hours of search by the local divers." SHO Dinesh Kumar Malakar said the body was handed over to his family after postmortem.
According to a local ward councillor, many people went to the banks of the Ganga for using the internet network of UP after the services were shutdown in the district. "People could be seen at various Ganga ghats from morning till late evening to access internet," he said. Sources said a similar trend was witnessed in several other districts like Saran and Kaimur where people visited the UP border areas for internet access.
Gaurav Upadhyay, who owns a restaurant at Buxar, said the ATM server was also not working in the town. "People are unable to withdraw cash. Business has been badly hit as people cannot make online payment. In such a situation, they are compelled to go to the Ganga ghats," he said.