annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Bihar
CPI (ML) and an undertrial lodged at the
Jehenabad Sub-Jail died on 25 September
2004. He had allegedly been sick since
several days. Protesting against his death
some of the inmates allegedly turned
violent and pelted stones at the prison
authorities. 18
On the late night of 18 November
2004, a police constable identified as
Dinanath Tiwari shot dead four persons,
including a woman and a child in Bagha
Mohalla in Begusarai. Tiwari was drunk
and allegedly barged into the house of a
widow in the village and tried to rape her.
When some villagers came to her rescue,
Tiwari fired indiscriminately with his
official carbine, killing three persons on
the spot. Another injured victim died later.
Three other persons were also critically
injured. 19
The Bihar Police were also violated
the right to life by resorting to
indiscriminate firing.
On 23 January 2004, Dukhan Mehta
was killed and three others were injured in
police firing at Gokulpur village in Purnia
district while protesting against arrest of a
person. 20 Two days later, on 25 January
2004, Jumerati Ansari was reportedly
killed and six others injured when police
lathi-charged and opened fire at the
agitators who were demanding creation of
Sonebarsha block at Sonebarsha Bazar in
Buxar district. 21
Five persons were reportedly killed
when police fired on a violent crowd
protesting against bungling in flood relief
and distribution of substandard goods at
36
Ujan village of Darbhanga district on 16
August 2004. 22
ii. Arbitrary arrest, detention and torture
There were consistent reports of
arbitrary arrest and detention by the police.
On 30 January 2004, Gopal Singh,
vice-president of the Bettiah Unit of the
Bihar Youth Advocates’ Welfare
Committee, was arrested without warrant
for alleged complicity in a case of fraud. 23
On the night of 14 September 2004,
Arjun Paswan, an employee of a junk
market located in Patna’s New Market
area, was allegedly beaten up by a group
of Government Railway Police (GRPs) on
Platform Number 8 of Patna Junction
while waiting for a train. The GRPs
demanded to see his ticket. When Paswan
showed his monthly pass, they allegedly
tore up the pass and demanded Rs. 100.
Upon his reluctance to bribe, they beat him
up and stole all his cash. They also
threatened him of dire consequences if he
reported the incident. When Paswan went
to file a complaint, the GRPs refused to
register his complaint. The Superintendent
of Police of GRPs ordered an enquiry into
the incident only when a local newspaper
carried a story on Paswan’s ordeal. 24
On 5 December 2004, Bihar Police
arrested more than 300 persons under
preventive detention. They were scheduled
to participate in the rally at Patna
sponsored by the People’s War Group,
Maoist Communist Center (MCC) and
People’s War under the banner of the
Krantikari Jansangarsh Ekjutta Samiti.