Patna, Oct 10 (IANS): Bihar is one of the few states in the country where criminals do not hesitate to attack police personnel, brazenly and in broad daylight.
There are several examples of attacks on police teams in Bihar where liquor mafia, sand mafia, Bahubalis (strongmen), political leaders apart from notorious criminals were involved in attacking the police.
On October 3, six police personnel including a SHO sustained injuries after members of a liquor mafia attacked them when they raided Lakhpat Bigha village under Govindpur police station.
"We learnt that a country made liquor manufacturing unit was operational in Lakhpat Bigha. We conducted a raid and arrested some of the persons present at the liquor unit. When we were returning to the police station, the liquor mafia including women attacked us," said Narendra Prasad, SHO of Govindpur police station.
The liquor mafia cut electricity to the village and pelted stones at the police team. They also beat the police personnel with batons and iron rods. They managed to free the arrested persons from the police van. The liquor manufacturing unit was run by Budhan Yadav and his father Ram Briksha Yadav.
On the same day (October 3), the supporters of a newly elected mukhiya (village head) pelted stones at a police team and also beat them with batons in Sitamarhi district.
The supporters of Yogendra Mandal were celebrating his victory by having a DJ play loud music in Gauri village under Nanpur police station. When the other villagers complained about it, a police team headed by ASI RK Yadav reached the village and asked those celebrating to lower the volume, but were attacked.
A video of the attack went viral on social media. District SP Pramod Kumar Yadav said: "The identification of the accused is currently underway on the basis of available video footage. They will be booked accordingly."
A joint team of the Patna police and the municipal corporation came under attack in Malahi Pakdi locality when encroachers pelted stones and hit them with batons, baseball bats and hockey sticks.
The police team reached the place to remove encroachers from the road. The villagers however claimed that they were living in the area for several years and the police teams came here to remove their hutments.
According to an official of Bihar police, there were 24 cases of attacks on police teams in August this year. This was revealed at the monthly meeting of the Bihar police chaired by ADG (Law and Order) Vinay Kumar.
Three cases each were registered in Gaya, Vaishali and Nalanda districts. Two cases each were registered in Nawada, Aurangabad and Begusarai and one case each in Purnea, Khagaria, Banka, Bagha, Darbhanga, Gopalganj, Siwan, Katihar and Muzaffarpur districts.
"We have directed all SPs and SSPs of the districts to take stringent action against the persons involved in attacks on police personnel. It is extremely important to maintain law and order in every district so that such incidents do not occur. We have also asked top officials of every district to ensure complete preparation before raids on liquor manufacturing units, crackdown against sand mafia or arresting accused persons," Vinay Kumar said.
"In case of big raids, DSP rank officers should lead the raiding teams and officials should inform about the raid to the SP and the SSP in advance. We have also sought speedy trial and prosecution of the accused persons," the ADG said.