13 backward caste labourers shot dead in Bihar

13 backward caste labourers shot dead in Bihar
ARUN SRIVASTAVA

PATNA, MAY 12: At least 13 labourers belonging to the backward castes were gunned down at Balughat in Lakhisarai district late on Thursday night. According to reports reaching the state headquarters, the heavily-armed assailants attacked the labourers when they were scooping sand and loading it on to a truck in the Kiul riverbed. A manhunt has been launched in the area to nab the culprits.

DGP K A Jacob said the unidentified assailants sprayed bullets on the labourers, killing them on the spot. The driver of the truck was also killed. At least five people received injuries and were rushed to Patna Medical College.

According to sources, rivalry behind obtaining contracts for sand transportation was the main reason for the massacre. In the past too violent incidents had taken place over this dispute.

It is being said that criminal Janardan Singh, owing allegiance to a powerful Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, carried out the operation.

According to the sources, a few days back a group of criminals had come to the site and issued a warning against lifting sand. The local administration was aware of the situation but did not take any action.

Chief Minister Rabri Devi sent Law Minister Shakeel Ahmed Khan to the spot. Her husband and RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav also visited the site. The government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh for each of the victim's family.

Reacting sharply to the incident, Leader of the Opposition Sushil Mody said ``it was a clear manifestation of the complete collapse of law and order'' in Bihar. He said the Congress leaders and their high command should do some introspection.

The state CPI has, however, said the incident was the culmination of the tussle between gangsters of the RJD and local contractors owing allegiance to the NDA. It said criminals enjoying the patronage of the ruling party have become contractors and were carrying out such heinous crimes.

Senior intelligence officers, however, said intermittent firing has been taking place for the past four days at the site of the massacre and this was known to the local police. Even the intelligence personnel had informed the police of the developments but since the Singh gang enjoyed the support of the ruling party, they did not act.

In New Delhi, Union Communications Minister and Dalit Sena President Ram Vilas Paswan demanded removal of the Rabri Devi and the BJP demanded a CBI inquiry.

Strongly condemning the killings, party spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu justified the demand for an inquiry by the CBI, saying a ruling party MLA was behind the killings.

Meanwhile, the outlawed Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) rebels attacked six brick kilns in extremist-hit Gaya district late Thursday night and set ablaze two trucks and as many tractors as the kiln-owners ignored repeated demands for protection money, officials said today.

The militants also demolished the chimneys of the kilns at Panchanpur in the Tekari police station area, DIG (Magadh Range) B C Verma said.