News Analysis India

Tag: Bihar police

  • Maoist responsible for killing 11 Bihar policemen arrested after 18 years

    By PTI

    DEHRI-ON-SONE: A Maoist, wanted in the 2003 killing of 11 Bihar Police personnel, was nabbed from Rohtas district on Friday, officials said.

    Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided Yadunathpur area and arrested Sanjhawan Cheron, Superintendent of Police Aashish Bharti said.

    He was on the run for around 18 years, the officer said.

    A police vehicle with 11 personnel in it was blown up by the Maoists in the Nawhatta police station area in 2003.

    “All 11 police personnel died on the spot. Cheron was the mastermind of the attack. He is also wanted in several cases pertaining to Naxal attacks in Uttar Pradesh,” the officer said.

    “The arrest of Cheron is a major achievement for the state police, the credit for which goes to the local police officers. All police personnel, who were part of the team that arrested Cheron, will be rewarded. Initial interrogation has revealed that he was still very active in the area,” he said.

  • Kishanganj SP’s campaign against narcotics, liquor yielding good results

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Bihar cadre IPS officer Kumar Ashish who is now posted in Kishanganj as Superintendent of Police (SP), is running one of a kind social campaign. Almost every day, the officer finds time to reach out to youths and convince them against falling prey to drugs and narcotic addictions.

    “While many youths of the country are falling prey to the additions of drugs and narcotics,  there are a few on the other hand who come ahead and inspire them to escape from such pernicious addiction”, Kumar Ashish told The New Indian Express.

    He goes to schools of remote areas of Kishanganj district and stops wherever he saws the youths, students and others of the age group. “I first become their friend in uniform, not the SP of their district. I try to inform them the pernicious side effects of drugs and narcotics as a friend”, he said.

    Kumar Ashish, who is known as ‘the SP of the people’, also educates the youngsters on the benefits of total prohibition implemented in the state. “Wherever I go, huge crowds including youth, school students, parents and enlightened citizens of the society gather and make a collective effort to prevent usages of drugs, various narcotics and liquor in the society. Today, the younger generation is falling in the grip of drugs. Our efforts are being made to give inspiration to the young generation. And if we save the people at the right time before falling into the grip of drugs, then it will be no less than service to the country for us”, he said.

    Dangerous narcotic drugs and substances like charas, smack, cocaine, brown sugar, ganja, bhang, opium, zarda, gutkha, tobacco and alcohol are being widely used in society for intoxication. “Apart from causing physical, mental and economic harm to the person due to the consumption of these poisonous and intoxicating substances, it also pollutes the social environment”, he said.

    Thanks to the campaign of Kumar Ashish, the Kishanganj Police has lodged 1,070 cases related to liquor ban violations by arresting a total of 1,194 people since 2018. “We are not only educating the people through this campaign but also have seized a total of 1, 27,299 litres of liquor, including 94,294 litres of foreign liquor, 259 vehicles –124 two-wheelers and 135 four-wheelers”, the SP said. He claimed to have seized 803 kg ganja, 120 g smack, 260 g heroin, 203 g brown sugar, 752 g opium, 138 kg poppy plant among other drugs.

    “ My campaign has also helped us in checking atrocities against women as we have registered a decrease of 20.93% since the beginning”, he said, adding that the cases of house-breaking(burglary), simple clashes, kidnapping for ransom, crimes against SC/ST and communal riots were also contained through social awareness against rugs and narcotics. 

  • Bihar Police on a mission to save minor girls from orchestra groups

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Rinku (name changed), 14, was lured for a job in Bihar with handsome salary. She wasbrought from a place in West Bengal a few months ago by an orchestra organiser in Gopalganj district of Bihar.

    Rinku, along with two other minor girls, was forced to dance in the orchestra and thereafter one of them was allegedly raped by a youth at an isolated place. The survivor, along with the other girls, later reported the incident to police and an FIR was lodged against the culprit.

    In another incident, a minor girl was employed in an orchestra party in West Champaran and was allegedly physically exploited. Later in July this year, 6 minor girls including her were rescued following an initiative of a social activist. In the orchestra, they were allegedly being exploited physically by the owner and organisers. Similarly, 6 minors were rescued from an orchestra unit in Rohtas district of Bihar and 5 persons werearrested by police for forced flesh-trade.

    In past, many minor girls and women were rescued from the clutches of orchestras organisers, who were lured for jobs from many states, like Maharashtra, West Bengal, UP, Odisha, Nepal and other places. They were also allegedly being exploited physically in the guise of orchestra performances.

    Taking serious note of such frequently reported incidents of sexual exploitations in the orchestra groups with minor girls, the state government’s social welfare department in a first such move has directed the district magistrates and the Superintendents of Police (SPs) of districts, identified vulnerable for engaging minor girls in flesh trade in the guise of orchestras, to keep strict vigil on the functioning of musical orchestra groups and units and the artists being hired for performances by the organisers.

    Raj Kumar-the director of social welfare department of state government, said that that all the orchestras and musical groups, who employ the girls, would be constantly watched by the local administrations. Social activist Shiana Parween had written a letter on July 3 this year to the department informing that illegal activities like exploitation of girls in many orchestra groups. In the letter, the woman activist had pointed out that many organisers use the financial difficulties of families emerged in thewake of Covid-19 pandemic to lure girls.

    Social welfare director Raj Kumar the district magistrates of Bihar’s 31 districts and the SPs of 21 districts have been directed to keep strict vigil on the functioning of orchestra groups in their districts and ensure complete ban on the engagement of minor-aged girls in the orchestra.

    “28 districts have started keeping watch on the orchestra groups and action would be taken upon finding minor girls being used in orchestras in the guise of musical performers”, the director said, adding that the National Human Rights Commission(Law Division) has being communicated about steps taken prevent entry of minor girls in orchestra.

    In Bihar as per a rough estimate, more than 3500 orchestra groups and units are functioning in many districts.

  • Angered by ‘custodial death’ of youth, Bihar mob attack cops, woman constable killed

    By PTI
    JEHANABAD (Bihar): A female constable died after being run over by a vehicle here while trying to quell a mob which in protest against a custodial death indulged in heavy stone-pelting and fired gunshots in the air, leaving many police personnel injured.

    The busy Jehanabad-Arwal highway remained jammed for hours on account of the trouble that erupted in Parasbigha police station area of the district, said Sub Divisional Police Officer, Jehanabad, Ashok Kumar Pandey.

    “The mob was furious over the death of one Govind Manjhi who was arrested some time back for engaging in liquor trade. He had been remanded to judicial custody and lodged at a jail in the adjoining Aurangabad district”, he said.

    Notably, sale and consumption of liquor is completely banned in Bihar where the Nitish Kumar government had brought in a stringent prohibition law six years ago.

    “Manjhi died at the jail on Friday. As the news reached here, residents of his village squatted on the highway blaming the death on physical torture. When a police party tried to assuage them, they took recourse to violence”, said Pandey.

    The SDPO said the constable, Kanti Devi, “was hit by a vehicle while she was engaged in the operation and she succumbed to injuries while being rushed to a hospital”.

    “The agitators indulged in heavy stone-pelting and fired a few shots from unlicensed firearms. Several police personnel have received grievous injuries. We have arrested five people in this connection. A heavy deployment of police is in place to keep the situation under control,” said Pandey.

  • Bihar police orders cops to not use phone, engage in social media while on duty

    By Express News Service
    PATNA: After reports of some cops being engrossed over phone with social media while on duty, the Bihar police headquarters on Tuesday passed an order that no police personnel on duty can use mobiles to be engaged with social media with immediate effect in Bihar.

    The use of mobiles and other electronic devices on duty by the police personnel not only blurs the image of police but also diminishes efficiency among the cops.

    The letter, carrying order to all the SSPs,the SPs and other seniors officers, clearly stated that the police officers are assigned with the task of ensuring safety to VIP, on duty to maintain law and order, the traffic management and other important points.

    On such duties, the police officers have to remain high alert but when they engage themselves with mobiles and social media platforms, their attention is diverted from duty.

    “Some instances of such incidents have been reported where cops were found unnecessarily busy with their mobiles on duty,” the letter of order stated.

    The police headquarters has directed not to use the mobiles, other electronic devices and be on social media on duty except in some exceptional or special cases.

    Jitendra Kumar, ADGP, HQ, confirmed the issuance of such order to stop the use of mobiles and other electronic devices.

  • Bihar: Ward boy arrested over alleged sexual harassment of woman taking care of COVID-positive family

    By ANI
    BHAGALPUR: A ward boy of a private hospital in Bihar’s Bhagalpur was arrested after a woman alleged that he had sexually harassed her while she was taking care of her Covid-positive husband and mother.

    As per a press release, an FIR was filed on Tuesday at the Patrakar Nagar Police Station after the incident was also brought to light on social media.

    The arrested hospital staff, Jyoti Kumar, was arrested later in the day after the FIR was filed.

    In a similar incident earlier last week, the Indore police on Friday arrested two ward boys of the Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital on May for allegedly molesting a COVID-19 patient.

  • SHO lynching case: Seven Bihar cops suspended for dereliction of duty

    By ANI
    KISHANGANJ: Seven Bihar police personnel, including Circle Inspector, Manish Kumar, were suspended in Kishanganj Bihar on Sunday on the charges of dereliction of duty.

    The seven police personnel ran away leaving the Station House Officer (SHO) on-site alone when a mob attacked them on Saturday in West Bengal’s Pantapada.

    On the recommendation of SP Kumar Ashish, IG Suresh Kumar Chaudhary of Purnia Range suspended the policemen for leaving the SHO of Kishanganj Police Station alone on the incident site.

    Seven cops–Raju Sahni, Akhileshwar Tiwari, Pramod Kumar Paswan, Ujjwal Kumar Paswan, Sunil Chaudhary, Sushil Kumar along with Circle Inspector Manish Kumar were suspended.

    “Strict punishment will be given to all seven police personnel after carrying out departmental action,” said SP.

    The officer had ventured into the neighbouring area with his team under Panjipara police station while conducting raids to look for the culprit in connection with bike theft where a mob attacked the team.

    The SHO was brutally beaten and throttled to death and his body was left abandoned at the spot. Later his body was taken to the Islampur hospital in Bengal.

    The deceased police official was a 1994 batch inspector and a resident of Janakinagar in Purnia district. He was posted to Bihar’s Kishanganj Police Station last year.

    During a meeting on Friday, SP Kumar Ashish had issued notice to all station heads regarding the growing incidents of robbery in the region and also assigned them the task to arrest the warrantees. (ANI)

  • Bihar police officer beaten to death during raid in West Bengal

    By PTI
    KISHANGANJ/ISLAMPUR: A police officer from Bihar was allegedly beaten to death by a mob during a raid in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.

    The incident happened in Pantapada village in the Goalpokhar police station area of the district after midnight when Ashwini Kumar, the Station House Officer of Kishanganj police station in Bihar, was leading a raid in connection with a motorcycle theft case, they said.

    They said that Kumar was in the village with a police team to apprehend the accused in the case that was registered in the Kishanganj police station. “However, he was surrounded by a mob and allegedly thrashed,” officials said.

    Later, they said that a team of police personnel from the Panjipara outpost rescued him and took him to the Islampur Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The West Bengal Police has arrested three persons in connection with the incident.

    Officials said that they have been identified as Firoze Alam, Abuzar Alam and Sahinur Khatoon. Uttar Dinajpur in West Bengal and Kishanganj in Bihar share a border. The body of the police officer was taken to the Kishanganj police lines during the day, following a post-mortem in Islampur.

    However, Kumar’s family refused to take the body after he was accorded gun salute at the police lines, alleging a conspiracy. They questioned the role of other police personnel in the team when Kumar was being thrashed by the mob.

    The family also sought to known that why the West Bengal Police was not given any prior information about the raid.

    The fiasco over the body went on for an hour, following which Kishanganj District Magistrate Aditya Prakash and Inspector-General of Purnea Range Suresh Kumar Chowdhury along with other top officials held a meeting with Kumar’s family, assuring them of an SIT probe into the incident, police said.

    They then took the body to Kumar’s native place in Janki Nagar in Purnea. West Bengal DGP P Nirajnayan spoke to Bihar DGP SK Singhal and assured him full cooperation on the matter, official sources said. In a statement, the Bihar Police said that it is looking into providing a job to Kumar’s kin. Officials said that Kumar joined the Bihar Police in 1994 and was transferred to Kishanganj a year ago.

  • Three-month jail or fine: Yell at your own peril during Bihar rural poll

    Express News Service
    PATNA:  People caught shouting in and around polling booths during the panchayat election in Bihar can be arrested and sentenced to three-month jail or fined.

    Sources in the state election commission said that if the presiding officer finds someone involved in such act, she/he can direct the police to arrest the accused.

    The elections are due to be held April-May. Overall, 4,705 polling booths will be set up for the purpose. 

    The sources said the state election commission has banned shouting on polling day in and around the polling booths in order to keep law and order maintained during the Panchayat elections.

    “The ban on shouting will be imposed for the day of polling because noise may interfere with the work of the employees engaged in the election work,” they said.

    The use of the public addressing system will also remain banned on polling day.

    Meanwhile, the Nitish Kumar government announced a compensation of Rs 30 lakh in the event of the death, including those succumbing to Covid, and Rs 15 lakhs will be given on injury sustained by the poll personnel. 

  • Bihar: ED to attach property of 170 criminals, worth Rs 299 crore

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Notorious bank-robber Amrendra K Madahv, 45, would have never imagined that his entire property will one day be confiscated by the government. He continued committing crimes, running an interstate gang of bank robbers but has now become literally a ‘pauper’ following the attachment of his property, worth Rs 1.5 crore by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the recommendation of state economic offence unit.

    Amrendra was arrested from Dhanbad and his property in Bihar and Jharkhand were attached by the ED. Even a plot of 5 katha land bought in the name of his wife has also been attached by the department. He had got the property made in the fake names of him and his wife as Sujeet Mitttal and Pooja Mittal.

    Madhav, born in Bihar’s Gaya district, is not the only one whose property has been attached. There are 170 notorious criminals in the list of EOU, whose properties — both moveable and immoveable — would soon be attached by the ED.

    The Economic Offence Unit (EOU) has started the mission under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 and the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance 1944. The proposal to attach the property of 170 criminals has been sent to the ED by the EOU.

    Sources from police department said that property, worth Rs 299 crore, belonging to the 170 would be attached by the ED following the recommendation of Bihar’s Economic Offence Unit.