Khagaria carnage: Bihar CM suspends SP, SDPO

Patna, Oct 4 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
Sunday suspended Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional
Police Officer in conection with Khagaria carnage, in which 16
people were killed by suspected Maoists in Amosi Bharen
village three days ago.

"The chief minister has taken strong exception to the
massacre and suspended Khagaria SP Indranand Mishra and SDPO
Ajay Kumar Pandey. They have been charged with dereliction of
duty, serious lapses and failure to reach the spot immediately
after the incident," Additional Director General (Headquaters)
Neelmani told PTI.

The decision to suspend the officials was taken late
Sarurday but the notification was issued Sunday, the ADG
said.

Additional SP of Aurangabad Anusuiya Ramsingh has been
asked to take over the charge of Khagaria SP while Nalanda
Deputy Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Tiwary as the SDPO
with immediate effect.

In a late Thursday night attack, heavily-armed suspected
Maoists swooped down on Amosi Bharen village in the
eastern state of Bihar's Khagaria district and shot dead 16
villagers, mostly teenagers, after tying their hands and feet.

Neelmani said 15 people, icluding the alleged mastermind
of the carnage O P Shah alias O P Mahto, have been arrested
while 10 more have been detained by the police in this case.

Police has registered a named FIR against 37 people, he
said.

Terming the arrest of Shah as a major breakthrough, the
ADG said that personnel of Special Task Force (STF), Bihar
Military Police and Special Auxilliary Police had carried out
search and combing operation in the riverine area of Saharsa,
Khagaria and Naugahchia for the thrid consecutive day.

"Though the incident appeared to be a case of prolonged
dispute over a piece of land, but the involvement of Maoists
were also being probed," Neelmani said, adding also the
political conspiracy angle was being investigated by the
Inspector General (Operations), S K Bhardwaj and IG (Bhagalpur
zone) A R Kinni, who are camping at the village.

Meanwhile, holding the NDA (National Democratic Alliance)
government responsible for the carnage, opposition parties
RJD(Rashtriya Janata Dal), LJP(Lok Janshakti Party), Left
parties and Congress has demanding Nitish Kumar's resignation
owing the moral responsibility for his failure to reign in
spiralling crime graph in Bihar. PTI AJK
JVN