Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, January 13
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who claimed he never compromised on crime, was now on the back foot over rising incidents of murders, loot, rape in the state.
The political trouble for the chief minister intensified on Wednesday as BJP, which is in alliance with the JDU in power in Bihar condemned the state police over murder of Rupesh Kumar Singh, station manager of Indigo airlines here last evening.
While the opposition, RJD and the Congress demanded resignation of the Chief Minister, senior BJP leaders including a senior member of his cabinet too joined the protests and said: “Our expectations from the Chief Minister on crime control have failed.”
Rupesh was gunned down at the entrance of his apartment in Punaichak area close to the state secretariat and hardly two kms from CM residence on Tuesday evening. The unidentified criminals pumped nearly ten bullets on the young executive.
Amrendra Prarap Singh, agriculture minister and BJP MLA from Ara said police lapse was evident and the officers failed to discharge their duties sincerely.
Union Minister R K Singh said all police officers of the area should be suspended. This was the result of negligence of the police and responsibility should be fixed. Government should give top priority to maintain the law and order and control the crime, the former union home secretary, who joined the BJP, added.
Gopal Narain Singh, senior BJP MP and former president of the party’s state unit said: “We had expected Nitish Kumar would control crimes, but he disappointed us.”
Another BJP member of Rajya Sabha Vivek Thakur said the criminals were having a free movement, police have failed every here as incidents of bank loot, dacoity, rape and kidnapping are being reported daily.
Janardan Singh Sigriwal, BJP MP who met the father of Rupesh in his village was more aggressive and suggested criminals should be hanged in public and their bodies should be displayed on the busy road junctions to instill fear among the criminals. He alleged the state police have failed in controlling crimes.
Nitin Navin, BJP MLA from Bankipore visited the site of the shoot out near the state secretariat and regretted that the criminals escaped after killing Rupesh.
Last week, BJP veterans, state party president Sanjay Jaiswal, former union minister, Sanjay Paswan and MP from Sasaram, Chhedi Paswan had also issued statements criticizing the Chief Minister over failure on law and order front and even suggested he should give up Home portfolio that he was holding for the last 15 years.
Leader of Opposition Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav said the criminals were on rampage throughout the state as reports of murders and rape have been coming in from Madhubani, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Patna and Ara. He referred to the comments of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during the assembly election campaign and said: “Modi ji had described me as the Yuvraj of Jungle Raj. And now what should I call Nitish Kumar-Maharaj of Maha Jungle raj.”
He regretted that the chief minister did not meet the family members of the slain Indigo manager. Tejaswhi alleged the DG of police also did not react and he did not even pick up the phone after the shootout. DGP is not taking cognizance of the ransom calls to the traders and businessmen either, he alleged.
Meanwhile, as pressure mounted from within the NDA, the Chief Minister talked to DGP S K Singhal and inquired about the progress of the investigations. He said the criminals should be arrested without delay and their speedy trial should be conducted.
Rupesh’s elder brother Nandeshwar Singh is a JDU leader of Saran and worked as spokesman of the party. He is engaged in construction activities and on his behalf, Rupesh, with his vast connections reportedly helped him in grant of contracts.
Police on Wednesday examined the footage of CCTVs at Patna airport and also near his apartment. Police today expanded investigations to Siwan and Gopalganj bordering Uttar Pradesh following inputs of involvement of professional shooters.
