Attack on Saran cops: All 7 accused still at large

PATNA: It will be a litmus test for the Saran police to initiate action against district board chairperson Meera Arun, one of the seven named accused in connection with the attack on a police team on Tuesday. A sub-inspector and a constable were killed in the attack and another cop was seriously injured.
Meena Arun is the cousin of Kavita Singh, a JD(U) MP from Siwan.Kavita’s husband Ajay Singh, a dreaded gangster, is facing charges of murder, kidnapping and extortion. Similarly Meena’s husband Arun Singh, a former mukhiya, is lodged in the Balia district jail in Uttar Pradesh in connection with a double murder case.
The JD(U) MP, however, denied her association with Meena. “I have nothing to do with the incident. Police will take action on the basis of evidences,” she added.
Sources in the police headquarters said Meena went into hiding after her name figured in the killing of sub-inspector Mithilesh Sah and constable Mohd Farooq. Her licensed revolver was recovered from the spot when a police team from Marhaura visited after the gunfire on the police vehicle on Tuesday evening.
An investigating officer said the district board chairperson’s house is at a stone’s throw distance from the place of occurrence. A sport utility vehicle (SUV) belonging to the assailants was parked near the site and another followed the police vehicle in which Mithilesh along with other cops was travelling.
Preliminary investigations revealed that an SUV started following Mithilesh soon after he left Marhaura police station for operation against the criminals involved in a dacoity case. Six other criminals joined them on their motorbikes near Dhenki Chowk. The assailants sprayed a volley of bullets on the police vehicle which slowed down due to waterlogging near the bus stand.
Mithilesh was sitting beside the driver while Farooq, Rajnish Kumar, Jitendra Kumar, Rajat Kumar and Vikas Kumar were sitting on the back seat. Mithilesh and Farooq died on the spot, Rajnish is battling for life at the Patna Medical College and Hospital.
The assailants escaped with one AK-47 and two regular pistols after the incident. What is surprising is that the attackers opened at least 30 rounds in the air to terrorise the local businessmen and residents, who ran for cover following indiscriminate firing. “They spent 20 minutes on the site before fleeing the spot. The local police reached the spot about 30 minutes after the incident despite the fact that the police station is hardly 500 metres from the site,” an investigating officer quoted an eyewitness as saying.
Meena’s personal body guard Rohit Singh was earlier arrested by Mithilesh in connection with a dacoity case lodged with Rasulpur police station. Mithilesh was heading the special investigation team (SIT) to crack a dacoity case lodged with Garkha police station in Saran district.
“The incident is a fallout of enmity with Rohit, the personal body guard of Meena Arun,” said Vikas, the complainant of the case. The assailants also tried to snatch the service revolver of Vikas, but in vain.
The police have detained nine people for interrogation. “Raids are on to arrest the criminals involved in the incident. The police have obtained CCTV footages and other evidences against the culprits who were absconding after the incident,” he said.
The forensic experts have also collected evidences from the site. “The call detail record of some cellphones in the locality are also being analysed,” the SP added.