PATNA: Policemen were deployed in a village in Bihar's Vaishali district on Monday as tension prevailed between people belonging to two different castes following the lynching of a 55-year-old Dalit man, which led to the burning of seven huts belonging to people from an extremely backward caste (EBC).
Even though most male residents of Murtazapur Dumri village had fled the village after 39 of them were booked for burning of the huts on Sunday, police feared more clashes and remained alert. None of the 39 people named as accused has been arrested so far, said Patepur police station SHO Chhotan Kumar.
Five people, including two women, from the Sahni community were arrested for the murder of Nagendra Paswan following a fierce group clash in the village on Friday. Paswan was grievously injured after lathi-wielding men and women thrashed him in an agricultural field. He was first treated at a private clinic and then rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where he succumbed to his injuries.
“The clash erupted from a minor incident involving children. After two children of the village belonging to the two castes had a quarrel and fought, the villagers were divided along caste lines and a skirmish ensued, leading to the Nagendra Paswan’s death,” said Vaishali SP Manavjeet Singh Dhillon.
News of Paswan’s death angered the Dalit villagers, who allegedly set afire at least seven huts of people belonging to the Sahni community on Sunday, causing the stage for further retaliation. But swift deployment of police force brought the situation under control.
“A probe is on to ascertain the claims by the Paswan community that the Sahnis had themselves set afire their huts to implicate the Paswans,” said Dhillon.
Nagendra Paswan’s murder had sparked massive protests by the Dalit people from several nearby villagers, who had blocked the state highway linking Patepur to Mahua for about seven hours on Saturday.