Tension grips Gaighat area of Muzaffarpur after a midnight police raid for a warrant execution ended in bloodshed and uproar. Officers from the local thana targeted Chorniya village to nab suspects in a high-profile POCSO case, but faced fierce resistance from a gathering crowd armed with stones, lathis, and firearms.
In the ensuing bedlam, police fired back to protect themselves, leading to the tragic death of 60-year-old Jagatveer Rai, who was hit in the chest and died instantly. The injured toll on the force side includes SHO Raja Singh, his deputy Manish Kumar, and two home guards, all under care at the district hospital.
As dawn broke, irate villagers staged a protest, surrounding the body and vowing not to cremate it without senior officials’ presence. Heart-wrenching scenes unfolded with Rai’s kin in hysterics, blaming unprovoked police aggression. RJD’s Prabhat Kiran alleged the SHO barged into the home late night sans warrant, beat Rai for protesting the intrusion, and shot him dead, also firing at livestock.
Rai’s uncle detailed the horror: Police in four vehicles zeroed in on Ajay, forcing him toward their car. Shouts drew villagers; first shot in air, second aimed at Ajay (who dodged), third claiming Jagatveer’s life. ‘Arrest the daroga now,’ they chorused, paralyzing the village.
Authorities maintain the team was lawfully executing warrants against POCSO fugitives. Attackers mobbed them, smashing vehicles and wounding four cops before gunfire erupted, felling one civilian. FIR registered; probe on.
Reinforcements including SP and DSP have fortified the site, patrolling restlessly. Congress leader Arvind Mukul slammed the ‘home invasion killing,’ urging SSP for unbiased inquiry and culpable officers’ detention. The incident underscores simmering rural-police frictions, with justice hanging in balance.