One Dead, another Injured in Police Firing in Kahalgaon
Bhagalpur: January 18, 2008
One person died while another injured when the police in Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district on Friday opened fire on a large crowd that was protesting against near absence of electricity in the district.
Admitting the police fired eight rounds of fire, Anil Sinha, ADG Law and Order, said that the police had to recourse to firing when the mob got completely out of hand and repeatedly refused to back off despite attempts to negotiate with them.
"The crowd attacked the police with empty bottles, bricks and other objects that led to the injuries of five policemen. They also destroyed a police jeep and caught hold of a policeman and beat him mercilessly when the authorities decided to resort to deadly force to prevent the situation from getting completely out of hand," Sinha said in Patna.
The police are monitoring the situation closely to prevent any more flare-ups in the region, officials said.
Meanwhile, reports said supporters of a certain political party in Bihar intentionally instigated clash between the police and the protestors.
"We have identified those individuals who led the attack against the police and attempts are being made to apprehend them," a senior police official in Patna said.
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