Darbhanga: A case has been registered after a video from Bihar's Darbhanga district recently displayed a man being tied, beaten up and forced to drink urine by a group of men over suspicion of theft. The victim, identified as Ram Prakash Paswan, a Dalit and resident of Rajoura village, was seen being thrashed inside a room and later on the road.
On Aug 16, Ram was returning from his aunt's village in Madhubani when the gang caught hold of him and thrashed him. A badly beaten and bruised Ram was brought to a government hospital for treatment on August 23, and subsequently a case was registered in this regard after the hospital administration alerted the police.
Speaking about the incident, Krishna Nandan Kumar, Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Darbhanga said, "the statement of the injured has been recorded. It is not lawful from anywhere that people should take the law into their own hands by accusing someone and punish themselves. Darbhanga police has sent the recorded statement to Rahika police station in Madhubani district. Investigation of the matter is going on”.
Meanwhile, the victim's daughter said, "a large number of people tied his hands and feet accusing him of theft and then started beating him up with sticks all night. When the people of the village went to rescue him, a demand of Rs 20 lakh was made. Papa's condition was critical, so people immediately rescued him by paying Rs 50,000."
The group is learnt to have threatened Paswan's family, and also forced him to drink urine when he asked for water. The latter was subsequently let go after his family furnished Rs 50,000 to the group. Rajeev Prakash Madhukar, former District Secretary, Bajrang Dal who joined issue squarely blamed the PFI members for the incident.
"Ram Prakash Paswan is engaged in religious activities which is why he has been targeted by the particular community. The mob lynching was their version reacting to his leanings. If the police do not take sufficient action in the incident, then we will launch an agitation. All those responsible should be arrested,” he said.
Darbhanga MLA Sanjay Saraogi claimed that 'Jungle Raj Part-3' is unfolding in Bihar. "Such incidents are taking place across the entire state. The way Ram Prakash Paswan was beaten up, and the people of a particular community who even made him drink urine, attests to the fact," the legislator said.
"The deafening silence of the administration shows that they do not have courage to take action against the culprits. We demand that a judicial inquiry be conducted into this incident. Stringent action should be taken against the culprits and against the officials who have failed to take cognizance of the issue," the MLA added.
