PATNA: One person was killed and two others were injured after police opened fire to disperse a group of protestors in Bihar's Katihar district on Wednesday. The protest was organised at Barsoi sub-divisional headquarters in the district to press for a regular supply of electricity in the area.
The trouble erupted at around 12.30 pm when around 1000 people assembled outside the electricity office located on the premises of the block development office to press for the demand for uninterrupted power supply and rectification of inflated bills. The protestors had a heated argument with police over the issue.
In the meantime, a group of protestors blocked the road near Bastaul Chowk in the town and disrupted vehicular traffic. Another group indulged in vandalism and ransacked the office of the block development officer. They also damaged the furniture in the electricity department office and manhandled the employees.
Initially, police tried to pacify the crowd and used mild force to bring the situation under control. However, as the number of protestors swelled, police had to open fire in the air to dispel the mob. Apprehending the situation was going out of control, police opened fire causing gunshot injuries to three people.
Katihar Superintendent of Police (SP) Jitendra Kumar confirmed the death of one person and injuries to two others in police firing. He said the police had to open fire in self-defence and protect the lives of employees of the electricity department as the mob turned violent.
“The security personnel were pelted with stones and lathi blows. More than a dozen police personnel and employees of the electricity department got injured in stone pelting. The protestors had vandalised the office to vent their ire,” SP told this reporter over phone.
The deceased was identified as Khursheed Alam (34), a resident of Basal village in Katihar district. The identity of one of the two injured was ascertained as Niyaz Alam. The injured have been admitted to a local government hospital for treatment.
State police headquarters also confirmed the death of one person and injuries to two others in police firing in Katihar. In a statement, police headquarters claimed that the situation in Katihar was tense but under control. Additional forces have been deployed in the town to restore peace, the statement said.
The firing on protestors took over political colour with the Opposition demanding the resignation of chief minister Nitish Kumar over repeated repressive measures against protestors in the state. BJP Backward Cell general secretary Nikhil Anand said that jungle raj has returned to the state.
Lashing out at chief minister Nitish Kumar, former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Tar Kishore Prasad said that the grand alliance government has failed on all fronts. “Bihar government has failed in every aspect. People were protesting against frequent power cuts in Katihar's Barsoi when police opened fire on them. Police firing claimed the life of a man and left two others wounded,” he added.
Earlier, police resorted to lathicharge on leaders and workers of BJP during 'Vidhan Sabha march' in the state capital. “People are greeted with bullets and lathi blows when they raise their demands,” rued BJP state chief Samrat Choudhary.
