PATNA: A 45-year-old man was brutally killed by a group of villagers in Bihar’s central Muzaffarpur district after the bike he was riding accidentally hit a goat that had strayed onto the road.
Police said the victim, Navin Kumar, was beaten up mercilessly before the mob of villagers slit his throat at Bhelaipur village on Saturday afternoon. Kumar’s friend Sikandra Sahni, who was riding pillion on the motorcycle, was also beaten up badly. He is now undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Muzaffarpur, and his condition is said to be critical.
“Two people have been arrested for the murder so far. The victim was a farmer from Vaishali district. The cause for his murder is said to be allegations that his bike hit a goat roaming on the road,” said Kumar Gaurav Mangala, the sub-divisional police officer of Saraiya. Police are trying to find out if there was any other reason behind the murder.
Kumar’s father, Vinod Singh, alleged that the attackers demanded money from Kumar and that they were not happy with Rs 5,000 that he offered for having injured the goat. Citing some previous instances, police sources said it was possible that the attackers deliberately pushed the goat in front of the speeding bike in order to cause an accident and make a fast buck.
After the brutal murder, more than 60 villagers from nearby villages reached the site of the murder, Mahadalit tola of Bhelaipur village, late in the evening and ransacked the homes of the villagers who attacked the killed Navin Kumar. This led to all members of the nearly 100 Mahadalit families living in the village fleeing their homes.
Tension prevailed in the area on Sunday as the Mahadalit villagers failed to return and people from nearby villages were seen seething with anger. Anticipating trouble, 30 police constables and an officer have been stationed in the village.
“Eight people have been arrested for ransacking the homes in the village. The district administration hopes villagers who fled come back to their homes soon,” said Mangala.