1 dead, 5 hurt in Bihar violence

Samastipur (Bihar): One person was killed and five others were injured on Friday in police firing and violence during a protest over the killing of a chemist in Bihar’s Samastipur district, officials said.

Protesters engaged in large-scale violence and arson at Asadhi village under Tajpur police station, fighting pitched battles with the police. They set afire eight police vehicles and also attempted to put on fire the police station, superintendent of police Samastipur Deepak Ranjan said.

“The police personnel had to resort to firing in the air after they could not disperse the crowd with batons,” he said.

“In the melee, some police personnel perhaps could not aim their guns properly as a result of which two of the demonstrators suffered bullet injuries,” Mr Ranjan said.

He said one of those who suffered bullet injury died on the spot, while the other was hospitalised. Three policemen and an administrative official also received injuries in the violence.

A chemist was shot dead by unidentified assailants two days ago and the locals were angry over it.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has ordered an official inquiry into the incident.

Calling the incident “sad”, Mr Kumar directed Tirhut divisional commissioner and the deputy inspector-general concerned to visit the scene and submit a report, an official release said in Patna. Additional police contingents have been deployed at the village where the situation was tense but under control, the SP said.