rediff.com: Probe ordered into Bihar 'fake encounter'


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Probe ordered into Bihar 'fake encounter'

The Bihar Government has decided to remove the district magistrate and police superintendent of Siwan and hold an inquiry by a Revenue Board member S N Biswas, into the alleged fake encounter at the Pratappur residence of controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal parliamentarian from Siwan, Shahabuddin, in which 11 people were killed on Friday.

State Chief Secretary Mukun Prasad said that the decision was taken at a high-level meeting held in Patna late Sunday night.

Prasad said DIG (Saran range) C R Kaswan had been shifted to Bettiah range and M K Kazmi would replace Kaswan.

According to an official communique, the state government has notified R K Mahajan as successor of the Siwan DM, Rasheed Ahmed Khan, who has been shifted to the state personnel department. Mahajan was earlier posted as district magistrate of Samastipur.

Siwan SP, B S Meena, will be replaced by his Motihari counterpart N K Azad. Meena has been asked to join the state headquarters, the communique said.

Biswas will conduct an inquiry into the alleged fake encounter and submit a report to the state government soon. Executive magistrates Uday Shanker Singh and D K Verma have also been placed under suspension with immediate effect.

The action followed submission of a report by an RJD ministerial team, led by Excise Minister Shivanand Tiwari that made an on-the-spot visit to go into the circumstances leading to the police action.

Tiwari, in his report, said it was a cold-blooded murder of innocent people in a fake encounter and recommended immediate punitive action against the Siwan officials.

Tiwari charged the police with being utterly brutal and having defied the orders of superiors before engaging in the encounter, allegedly to arrest Siwan MP Shahabuddin after the alleged assault of police official at an examination centre on Thursday.

The situation in Siwan has almost returned to normal even as the Army and Central Reserve Police Force personnel continue to stage a flag march in urban and rural areas to maintain law and order, according to state Director General of Police R R Prasad.

No untoward incidents were reported from Siwan since Saturday, he said claiming that business activities, affected by Friday's incident, had resumed.

The state government has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2.5 lakh to dependants of each of the deceased besides providing government jobs to an eligible member of each of the bereaved families.

PTI

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