In a shocking incident here, an inebriated CRPF jawan shot dead a national-level kabaddi player, who allegedly refused to divulge her cellphone number despite his importunities, on Wednesday evening. Immediately thereafter, he shot himself in the stomach.
According to the police, Manisha Thakur, 22, who hails from a village in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, was hit in the face and then shot several times by Yashwant Singh, from the 131st battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, as she was returning home after practising the game at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium.
According to reports, the jawan hung around the stadium premises and stalked Manisha. Bihar Director-General of Police Neelmani said Singh made obscene remarks and gestures at her and demanded her mobile phone number. After she attempted to fend him off, Singh shot her several times with his AK-47 rifle, before shooting himself in the stomach, Mr. Neelmani said.
Manisha, who was rushed to a nearby hospital, was declared dead. Singh has been admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital, where he is said to be in a critical state. A passerby, who was injured by a stray bullet, has also been admitted to the hospital but is said to be out of danger. According to police sources, 17 empty and four live cartridges were recovered from the murder spot.
The jawan has been booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Officials said they would comment on the incident only after a court of enquiry and all-round investigation.
Manisha was due to leave for Ranchi on Thursday to take part in the National Games, which commence on February 12.
The player, who was working as clerk in the Danapur divisional office of the East Central Railway, was described as “brilliant” and “major talent” by her colleagues and the State kabaddi fraternity.
She represented Bihar for the last three years, and had participated in many national events in the past as well.
Her killing evoked widespread condemnation, with the Bihar State Kabaddi Association, the State Olympic Association and the Bihar Players Association demanding that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar withdraw the CRPF battalion, camped near the stadium.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui has also demanded that the CRPF battalion be immediately pulled out, terming it “an illegal camp.”
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, who expressed her condolences to the family, has instructed rail authorities to provide whatever is necessary to Manisha's kith and kin.
