By IANS,
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered investigations into a shooting incident in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district early Saturday in which paramilitary troopers opened fire on a group of villagers, killing one person and injuring four others.
Villagers were protesting over the alleged molestation of a woman by one of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) troopers camping near their Bairgania village close to the India-Nepal border.
“The chief minister has ordered Bihar Police chief Abhyanand to probe the incident and submit a report within 24 hours,” an official in the Chief Minister’s Office here said.
According to the official, Nitish Kumar is keeping a close watch on the situation. Abhayanand has left for Sitamarhi to conduct an inquiry into the shooting.
According to police, a group of villagers late Friday evening protested the alleged misconduct of SSB personnel and pelted stones at their camp in the Bairgania village area of Sitamarhi district.
“On Saturday morning, some villagers tried to set the SSB camp on fire. In order to disperse them, SSB jawans had to open fire, in which one person was killed and four were injured,” a district official told IANS.
According to police, at least 50 rounds were fired by the SSB personnel. Villagers have blocked the roads in the area and are demanding action against the troopers.
Abhayanand earlier directed top officials, including Inspector General of Tirhut zone Gupteshwar Pandey, to rush to Sitamarhi and take a stock of the situation, a police official said.
“Pandey and other top police officials will be camping in Sitamarhi till the situation improves,” a police official said.