Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, July 24
Kanti Devi, a woman police Havildar was crushed to death on the national highway 110 in Jahanabad district on Saturday noon during a clash over custodial death.
The mob, agitated over the death of a villager in police custody allegedly chased her and she came under the wheels of a speeding vehicle. Six policemen were injured and admitted in the Sadar Hospital, Sub-divisional police officer Ashok Kumar Pandey claimed.
Movement of vehicles on NH was suspended for several hours as agitated villagers stormed the high-way, pelted stones on the policemen and attacked them with lathis. They also damaged police vehicles. Police arrested six people.
According to the police, Govind Manjhi, a resident of Sarta village in Ratni block was arrested by police for violation of prohibition laws three days back and was lodged in Daudnagar sub-jail in neighbouring Aurangabad district. He died on Saturday morning.
As information about the death of Govind Manjhi reached the village, his family members and neighbours resorted to road blockade on NH 110 at Nihalpur. They alleged Govind was tortured to death by the police. Many women were also seen in the mob attacking police.
Police from district headquarters at Jahanabad was sent to clear the NH 110, but villagers attacked the force with lathis and stones. Police resorted to lathi-charge to quell the mob and fired three rounds in self-defence, but none was hurt.
One police woman havildar, Kanti Devi, who tried to escape the attack of the mob, was hit by a vehicle on the high-way and she died on the spot. She had come from Khagaria on transfer recently. Police alleged she was chased by the villagers to the high-way and she was killed by a moving vehicle.
According to an FIR filed at Parasbigha police station, a mob had brutally beaten the policemen who had to fire three rounds.
