Days after shocking visuals of gross police brutality emerged from Bihar’s Munger, the former Superintendent of Police (SP) and District Magistrate now stand exposed for having lied through their teeth about all that transpired on the fateful night of Vijayadashami, when Durga Ma devotees were brutally beaten by the police as they were heading for their respective idol immersion. A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) report has now cleared the air about the culpability of police in the brutal crackdown on Hindu devotees. It has been established beyond doubt now that the first bullet was shot by the police.
On the night of October 26, several devotees and security personnel were injured in violent clashes during which the police are said to have shot an 18-year old boy named Anurag Poddar, whose brains were blown out due to the bullet injury. While Lipi Singh, former SP of Munger had claimed that the first bullet was fired by the devotees, the CISF report in no uncertain terms states that the first bullet was fired by the police in the air as a warning shot.
Interestingly, Lipi Singh had gone to the extent of claiming that it was the firing from the side of Hindu devotees which had resulted in the death of Anurag Poddar. Reported by Times Now, the CISF report states that the dispute between the devotees and the police started at around 11:45 pm on October 26. When people started pelting stones at police and security forces, the Munger Police first opened fire in the air. However, it further agitated the crowd, leading to an intensified stone-pelting “in self-defence as the situation threatened to go out of the hand”.
The report added that M Gangaiah of unit CNP (N) fired 13 rounds of bullets from his INSAS rifle. “As a result, the violent procession got dispersed due to which all CISF personnel, local police and other CAPF personnel could safely be returned to their respective camps,” the report said. This establishes the fact that in complete contrast to the claims of Lipi Singh, it was the police, and not the devotees who fired bullet shots.
After massive uproar, the Election Commission removed Munger district magistrate Rajesh Meena and SP Lipi Singh. Those responsible for the violence, and subsequently caught lying about the brutal police assault must be made to face the music in light of the sensational CISF report which lays bare for all to see how authorities blamed a bunch of devotees for their own wrongdoings.
The common man stakes his entire worth, honor and even his very life on clearing every point in his never ending struggle, while the societal vultures, wielding power with heaps of backup resources, make merry and a mockery of the strife and life of the overcautious masses.
Ruffians rule the roost, while the ones being run roughshod over rue every moment of their doormat existence. Unless and until all-round fair players prevail, this miserable state of affairs would never be fixed.