The death of a school's director in mob violence sparked off massive protest today by aggrieved locals at Hilsa in Nalanda district, who blocked roads, closed down shops and pelted stones at vehicles, including that of the district magistrate and superintendent of police.
Police said as soon as the body of Devendra Prasad, director of Devendra Public School, who succumbed to injuries after being lynched by a mob yesterday following the death of two students, reached his residence at Hilsa Bazar this morning, protesters forced the closure of Hilsa Bazar and blocked the Hilsa-Daniayawan road.
The protesters were demanding presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, native of Nalanda district, besides District Magistrate K Kartikeya and SP Sidharth Mohan Jain to hear their demands, police said.
On being informed by the local authorities, the DM and the SP reached Hilsa Bazar and tried to pacify the protesters but the crowd paid no heed to their assurance.
The protesters began pelting stones at half a dozen vehicles, including that of the two district officials, smashing the windscreens following which police swung into action and lathicharged the crowd.
Meanwhile, the SP promised strict action against those responsible for the school director's death in mob attack at Nirpur village following recovery of the bodies of two students of Devendra Public School from a water body.
"We are identifying the accused from the video footage of the mob attack on the director of the private school in order to take stringent action against those responsible for Devendra Prasad's death," Jain told PTI on phone.
Station House Officer (SHO) of Nalanda police station Sunil Kumar has been suspended on charge of dereliction of duty, he said.
