Patna, (Bihar Times): A day after the killing of three people in the police firing in Kahalgaon block of Bhagalpur district a young boy, Mohammad Khairuddin (18) alias Khairu, was dragged from his house, beaten in full public view by the police and then shot dead. Another person Mohammad Aslam suffered serious injuries in the process. The whole event was captured by a camera person and subsequently shown by a television channel.

Saturday was the day of police going berserk. According to the local residents a police party led by the deputy superintendent of police broke into several houses and indiscriminately started beating the people. They wanted to take the ‘revenge’ for the attack on police by the mob on Friday. With the death of one person in hospital the death toll in Friday’s police firing rose to four. Thus the toll in the two days of violence rose to five.

Just after the killing of Khairu the town turned into a battleground with mob torching two hospitals, government vehicles etc. Home secretary Afzal Amanullah, who along with ADG, Abhayanand, went to Kahalgaon, said that the government had ordered the transfer of the SDO, DSP, BDO and officer-in-charge. He also said that the government would pay compensation of Rs one lakh each to all the four persons who died in police action on Friday and Saturday.

Bhagalpur is not the only place going without power for the last many months. Power shortages have sparked protests in many places and Bihar State Electricity Board offices have been ransacked in at least two dozen districts in the last few weeks.

The two days of police action has given fresh ammunition to all political parties. But what is causing concern is that in Bhagalpur and other district towns not only the opposition parties but even the activists of the ruling BJP and Janata Dal (United) are taking part in the protest against the administration.

Bindeshwari Jha, a BJP activist, did not mince a word to tell a television channel as to why only the DSP and SDO have been transferred when the district magistrate and superintendent of police were present at the time of police firing. Meanwhile, railway minister Lalu Yadav is rushing to Bhagalpur from Delhi.

What is strange is that on Saturday police were let loose when the home secretary and ADG were in the town to take the stock of the situation.

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