An angry mob set a police station afire in Jhanjharpur sub-division of Bihar’s Madhubani district on Thursday in protest against “delayed police action” after a truck ran over a young man.
Two constables, R. N. Tiwari and P. P. Yadav of Jhanjharpur police station, were injured as a result of the attack, while serious damage was inflicted on police property in the vicinity of the police station.
According to police sources, young Mohammad Safiq was killed in the morning when a speeding truck hit him at Barmu village near the police station. A mob of local people, around 1,000-strong, blocked the Jhanjharpur-Fulparas road protesting against tardy police action in arresting the truck driver.
When police personnel objected, the mob stormed the police station and torched it with kerosene and petrol.
Authorities said the two constables suffered injuries in stone-throwing by the mob. The locals then burnt the official jeep and seized motorcycles and four-wheelers.
Police sources said there was “no delay in the arrest of the truck driver and that the vandalism perpetrated by the locals was utterly unjustified”.
“We are probing the possibility that the attack on the police station could have been pre-meditated,” said ADG (Headquarters) Mr. Neelmani, speaking to The Hindu.
Mr. Neelmani said that “even after the prompt arrest of the truck driver”, the locals went on the rampage.
“They set fire to 5-6 residential houses within the police compound, destroying many valuable documents in the process. There has to be some reason to justify such a violent eruption on the mob’s part. Hence we are trying to ascertain a motive,” said Mr. Neelmani.
The ADG said police patrolling has been intensified following the arson and senior police officers, including the SP of Madhubani, are camping near the trouble spot.
