Opposition parties have blamed local administration and politicians for patronising main accused Pravin Jha in the killing of five people in Madhubani district on March 29.
Mr. Jha, along with five others, was arrested on April 7 and allegedly runs private militia Ravan Sena, comprising members of the dominant caste.
The ruling JD(U) on Thursday said “there is rule of law in Nitish Kumar’s regime, where nobody will be spared after committing a crime”.
Five people of a family in Mahmudpur village in Madhubani district were killed on Holi day (March 29), allegedly by members of the Ravan Sena.
Among those killed were a Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and his kin.
The dead were Ranvijay Singh and Virendra Singh, who died on the spot, and Rana Pratap Singh (Assistant Sub-Inspector in BSF), Amarendra Singh and Rudra Narayan Singh, who succumbed to their injuries later.
Another injured, Manoj Singh, is currently under treatment at local Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
Altogether 35 people, including Mr. Jha alias Ravan, were named as accused in the case. Among them 18 are from Brahmin, 13 from Rajput, one from Backward Caste and others from Extremely Backward Caste category.
After the incident, leaders of different political parties visited the village to express support to the grieving family members of Surendra Singh, whose sons and cousins were killed in the incident.
Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav visited on March 6 and blamed the local administration and a BJP leader for patronising the main accused.
He displayed a photograph in which Mr. Jha was allegedly seen with a senior district police official.
“The main accused Pravin Jha, who runs ‘Ravan Sena,’ is being patronised by local district administration and the BJP leader. It is the district police officials who had helped the main accused in crossing the India-Nepal border. We demand immediate removal of local Superintendent of Police, Deputy SP and justice for the victim family”, charged Mr. Yadav, while adding, “law and order has completely failed in Nitish Kumar’s regime”.
He also termed the killing a massacre and alleged it took place at the behest of a local BJP leader.
Later, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told media persons that he was monitoring the incident and its investigation. Party chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh and other leaders were sent to Mahmudpur village to get details of the incident.
On Wednesday, the police arrested Mr. Jha and five others.
Police version
The police said the incident was a fallout of personal enmity and a battle of supremacy between two groups over ownership of a fishing pond of the village.
“The incident happened because one group led by Pravin Jha wanted control over a fishing pond owned by one Sanjay Singh. It was a fallout of battle of supremacy between these two groups of the area and not between two castes”, Inspector General of Police (Darbhanga range), Ajitabh Kumar told media persons.
“They were arrested from Raghauni village under Bisfi police station on the district borders of Madhubani and Darbhanga. Those absconding too will be arrested soon”, he added.
On Thursday, JD(U) leader and party chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh said, “during RJD regime as many as 118 massacres had taken place and the Leader of Opposition should tell people about those incidents. In Nitish Kumar’s regime, rule of law exists and nobody will be spared after committing crime”.
“The Mahmudpur incident has nothing to do with any caste as Opposition leaders tried to colour it”, Mr. Singh asserted.
