Madhubani killings: JAP leader Pappu Yadav threatens statewide strike

On March 29, the day of Holi, around 35 armed men opened fire on the family of Ranvijay Singh over an alleged land dispute in Madhubani's Mohamadpur. In the brutal attack, Ranvijay and his cousin Virendra Singh were killed on the spot. Three other family members -- Rana Pratap Singh, Amrendra Singh and Rudra Narayan Singh -- succumbed to their injuries a day later.

New Delhi:Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) chief Pappu Yadav has slammed the Bihar government over the Madhubani killings and demanded strict action against the guilty, failing which he threatened he would call for a statewide strike.

On March 29, the day of Holi, around 35 armed men opened fire on the family of Ranvijay Singh over an alleged land dispute in Madhubani's Mohamadpur. In the brutal attack, Ranvijay and his cousin Virendra Singh were killed on the spot. Three other family members -- Rana Pratap Singh, Amrendra Singh and Rudra Narayan Singh -- succumbed to their injuries a day later. Another injured person, Manoj Singh, is currently admitted to the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Yadav alleged that the main accused, who is associated with the Bajrang Dal, has a strong link with a former Bihar minister.

"Five members of a family were killed in the massacre. Instead of visiting the deceased's family, the Madhubani MLA has been touring other parts of the state," Yadav lamented. He questioned the relevance of Opposition leader and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's visit on Tuesday, eight days after the murders.

He demanded that the state takes take stringent action against the perpetrators so such an act doesn't get repeated.

Meanwhile, Madhubani SP Satya Prakash said 11 people have been arrested in connection with the case. However, the main accused, Praveen Jha, is still at large.

Earlier, Neeraj Kumar Bablu, a cabinet minister in the Nitish Kumar government, had met the victims' family.