Police brutality generates heat in political circles

Patna, Aug 29 (UNI) The National Executive(NE) of the CPI today strongly condemned the police brutality in Nathnagar in Bhagalpur district and demanded immediate dismissal and arrest of the guilty.

Expressing concern over the incident, the NE, in a release, said that such a policeman had no right to remain in service and should immediately be dismissed. They also demanded that they should be put behind bars for dispalying such 'barbarism'.

The leaders also said that it was horrifying to see the way the two policemen tied Mohammad Aurangzeb alias Salim, accused of chain-snatching, to their motorbike and dragged him. The victim had earlier been beaten up by the mob for snatching a gold chain.

''One is struck with horror at the brutality of the police, in attempts to deliver instant justice,'' the leaders added.

They also appealed to the people to foil any conspiracy by the police and communal forces to arouse a riot in the communally sensitive town of Nathnagar in Bhagalpur, which was the worst-hit during the riot of 1989.

They alleged that the fact was more frightening that the police and the administration were trying to give a communal colour to side-track their barbaric assault.

Meanwhile, CPI(ML) held Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reposible for the incident and asked him to resign on moral grounds.

CPI(ML) polit bureau member Ramjatan Sharma also demanded immediate suspension of the district magistrate and police superintendent of Bhagalpur in view of the horrifying incident which had exposed the ''inhuman'' face of the police and administration in delivering quick and on the spot justice.

He said the party would launch phase-wise agitation to expose the government in public and disclosed that the party had convened Bhagalpur bandh on August 31 and would observe a statewide protest tomorrow.

The leader of Opposition in the Assembly Rabri Devi, taking strong note of the police excesses, demanded the government to hold senior police personnel of the SP and DIG rank accountable for police brutality across the state. She alleged that the Bhagalpur incident shows administrative failure of the state government and demanded the National Human Rights Commission to initiate stringent action against the state government. She also demanded suitable compensation to the victim.

Meanwhile, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Sadanand Singh also expressed concern over the police brutality in Bhagalpur and said that the police should act as per law and should avoid taking law into their own hands.

Mr Singh appealed to the people of Bhagalpur to maintain peace in the district.

UNI