Six police encounter in five days in Bihar, the first such action to deal with criminals in decades.
Key Points
- The Bihar police launched 'Operation Langda', targeting wanted criminals followed by arrests across multiple districts.
- Since Samrat Choudhary became chief minister, Bihar has witnessed 11 police encounters within 37 days.
- RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged the police encounters were being conducted selectively on the basis of caste identities.
Rising crime is not new nor is it big news in Bihar, but what is news is that six criminals were shot in the leg over the last five days in separate police encounters at different places.
All of them were accused of serious crimes, and were arrested after the encounters.
These encounters by the Bihar police's Special Task Force is part of 'Operation Langda' which is underway to target criminals in the state.
A month after the Bharatiya Janata Party's first chief minister Samrat Choudhary took over and proclaimed zero tolerance against criminals, these police encounters have been initiated.
In 37 days of Samrat Choudhary's government, 11 encounters have been reported in which two criminals were killed; nine of them have been 'half encounters' as the alleged criminals were shot in the leg, and then arrested.
In the latest incident, Bikku Singh alias Ravan, accused in a murder case, was shot in the leg during a police encounter late on Thursday night in Jahanabad district.
Bikku Singh was arrested for the murder of Deepak Kumar and being taken to a canal bank by the local police to recover the weapon used in the killing when he supposedly retrieved the hidden firearm and opened fire on the police team.
The police retaliated and Bikku Singh sustained a bullet injury in his leg.
Major Shift In Police's Modus Operandi
Over the last few days, such 'half encounters' have been reported from Patna, Siwan, Kishanganj, Samastipur and Jahanabad districts.
Nitish Kimar, who was accused of looting Rs 27 lakh from a cash van, was shot in the leg and arrested later in Patna.
Ankit Singh, accused of a gold robbery of Rs 20 lakh, was arrested after he was shot in the leg and injured during a police encounter in Siwan.
The police encounters signal that Choudhary, who is also in charge of the home department, has given a free hand to the police to deal strictly with criminals.
Bihar Adopts UP Encounter Model
It has been an old demand of BJP leaders as well as a section of the public to adopt the police encounter model of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to deal with criminals to improve law and order in the state.
"The police encounters are a major shift from the Nitish Kumar model to control crime," says Rajeev Kumar, a political commentator in Patna.
Janata Dal-United leaders including Minister Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha to JD-U Chief Spokesman Neeraj Kumar have reportedly supported the police encounters. As has Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party-Ramvilas, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha and Upendar Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav has alleged that the police encounters have been conducted on the basis of caste.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
