Munger violence: CISF report says police firing in the air instigated crowd
Patna: The Munger incident got political heated up on Friday after a report claimed that the state police fired in the air which instigated the crowd during the Durga idol immersion procession on October 26.
The internal report filed by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a copy of which is also available with this newspaper, clearly states that the local police fired in the air to control the crowd.
The report says that “on the request of Bihar police at 11.20 PM on October 26 a group of 20 CISF personnel of Election coy departed from their camp for procession control duty. Further state police divided 20 personnel into two groups of 10 each. Out of this one group was deployed at Deen Dayal Upadhyay chowk along with SSB and state police personnel at 11.45 PM”.
The report further adds that “due to dispute between the local police and devotees present in the procession, the crowd started pelting stones at the state police and other CAPF personnel. To control the situation the local police first fired in the air which led to heavy stone pelting from the crowd. As the situation was getting out of hand the CISF personnel fired in the air, as a result, the violent procession got dispersed”.
The report is likely to create trouble for the Munger SP Lipi Singh as well as the district administration which had earlier blamed anti-social elements for the incident in which a person was killed and many others injured.
Both Munger SP Lipi Singh and the DM was removed by the Election Commission on Thursday after a group of protesters went on a rampage in the town, setting police stations and outposts on fire and ransacked the SP and SDO offices.
The poll panel has also ordered an inquiry into the firing and stone-pelting during the immersion procession late Monday night in which a 20-year-old youth was killed and several others injured.
Magadh divisional Commissioner Asangba Chuba Ao has been asked to carry out a probe and submit a report within a week.
On Friday, a Congress delegation led by senior party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala met Bihar governor Phagu Chauhan over the incident and demanded immediate action against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi.
“We have demanded immediate suspension of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi. A compensation of Rs. 50 Lakh must also be given to the family member of the person who was killed in the incident”, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
The RLD led grand alliance has also criticized the incident, likening the district police and the SP with General Dyer of infamous Jallianwala Bagh incident in Punjab during the British rule.
Munger SP Lipi Singh is the daughter of senior JD(U) leader and Rajya Sabha MP RCP Singh.
Political analysts believe that the incident which occurred on the eve of the first phase of voting may have impacted the polling in the area as it witnessed lower voter turnout as compared to 2015 assembly elections.
Meanwhile, the state administration on Friday deployed additional forces in Munger to control the situation. Speaking to reporters DIG Munger Manu Maharaj said, “Situation has been brought under control and forces have been deployed in the area to monitor the law and order in the area”.
