The state government today ordered a probe into the Rohtas police firing incident in which two persons were killed and six others injured in a village on July 8.
Replying to a brief 30-minute debate on the Rohtas police firing incident in the legislative Assembly, state Home Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said the Commissioner, Patna Division and Inspector General of Police (IG), Patna Zone, would jointly probe the incident and submit a report.
He said Patna Zone IG Kundan Krishnan, who had visited Rohtas district last week to find out the facts on the police firing incident, has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Patna Range DIG to investigate the matter.
Chaudhary defended the police for firing on the mob saying it was done in self-defence after the protesters had attacked a police jeep and tried to torch the Rohtas Police Station on July 8 amid rumours about the death of Ajay Sah, the prime accused in circulation of a provocative SMS which had trigger violence in Akbarpur village and surrounding areas a day earlier.
"The police had no option but to open fire on the mob in self-defence, otherwise the protesters would have killed them (cops)," the minister said rubbishing the Leader of Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav's charge that the police firing was unilateral and aimed at placating a particular community.
Chaudhary also defended the police for arresting Ajay Sah, a resident of Patpalia village under Rohtas police station, on the basis of an FIR filed against him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for sending an SMS to his friend Neyaz Ahmed of Akbarpur village, the text of which amounted to hurt religious sentiments of the latter.
The police verified the context of the text before arresting Sah and also placated the mob from the other village after they had blocked road and demanded the accused be handed over to them, Chaudhary said adding, the timely arrest of the Sah saved him from being lynched by Neyaz Ahmed's kins and fellow villagers on July 7.
