This story is from November 20, 2019

Bihar: Ex-SHO held in fake encounter case in Katihar

A former SHO and a police constable were arrested in two separate cases in Katihar district on Tuesday.
Bihar: Ex-SHO held in fake encounter case in Katihar
Representative image
PATNA: A former SHO and a police constable were arrested in two separate cases in Katihar district on Tuesday.
While sub-inspector Dilip Kumar Ojha, former SHO of Kachna police outpost, was arrested in a 2018 fake encounter case in Katihar district, constable Raghuvansh Mani Thakur was held in a case related to his escape with a duty rifle.
Ojha was arrested from Manihari in Katihar where he had gone to appear for departmental proceedings initiated against him in connection with a fake encounter case of February 14, 2018 in which one Munna Nonia (35) was killed.
Munna’s death had triggered violent protests by local residents, who had ransacked the police outpost.
The encounter victim’s wife Laxmi Devi had lodged a case against then SHO Ojha and a few other police personnel alleging that her husband was gunned down on the pretext of his alleged involvement with a bootlegging gang. The protests had forced district authorities to order a magisterial inquiry into the killing.
“The then SHO’s arrest has been made on the directive of the DIG of Purnia range. The magisterial inquiry had found the allegations against Ojha to be true,” Barsoi SDPO Pankaj Kumar told this newspaper over phone.
He clarified that Ojha was put under suspension by then SP Siddharth Mohan Jain and departmental proceedings were initiated against him. Katihar SP Vikas Kumar said Ojha, a native of Sahebganj in Jharkhand, was produced before the chief judicial magistrate of Katihar and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

The SP constable Thakur was arrested in a case related to his escape with a regular rifle soon after the 2019 parliamentary elections. “He remained traceless for two months and didn’t deposit the weapon he was allotted during the election,” Vikas said, adding that an FIR was lodged with Katihar Sahayak police station against him.
The SP said though Thakur, a resident of Darbhanga district, returned after two months, he was put under suspension after a case was registered against him. “Escape with a regular weapon and that too without sanctioned leave is an offence,” the SP added.
The arrest of the two police personnel in two different cases has created ripples in police and administrative circles. The SP said he has informed his superiors about the arrest of the duo and their subsequent judicial custody.
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