Mob attacks police after youth dies in custody in Bihar

Police deny allegation of custodial torture, say death of youth was due to bee sting

An enraged mob of villagers on March 19 attacked a police station after a youth died in custody in Bihar’s West Champaran district.

A policeman was lynched and a few others were injured in the attack. Three police vehicles were set on fire.

On Sunday, the police said the youth had died of bee sting and not of custodial torture. As many as 14 people have been arrested for attacking the police station.

District police officials said a team of policemen was on patrol in Arya Nagar under Belthar police station of West Champaran district on Holi (March 19) when they spotted a youth, Aniruddha Kumar Yadav, playing loud music in the village.

“The police took Aniruddha Kumar to the police station, where he died. When news of Kumar’s death spread in Arya Nagar, an enraged mob of hundreds of people attacked the police station, accusing policemen of torture. The protesting villagers also blocked the Belthar-Bettiah road for several hours.

The villagers accused policemen of beating Kumar brutally, resulting in his death. “The policemen had beaten Aniruddha Kumar with butts of weapon and batons, following which he died. It was a clear case of torture under custody at the police station,” a resident of Arya Nagar said, preferring anonymity.

One policeman, Ram Jatan Singh, died and several others got injured in the mob attack on Belthar police station. Singh died of severe head injuries, said policemen. The policemen at the Belthar police station had to flee the spot to save their lives. The protesting mob later set at least three police vehicles on fire.