Mob goes berserk as youth ends life in Jehanabad police station

PATNA: Violence erupted in Jehanabad after a youth, who was detained by police for interrogation in a bike theft case, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself with the help of cellphone charger wire inside a toilet on the premises of Ghosi police station around 10.30am on Thursday.
Villagers pelted stones targeting police personnel to protest the death of the youth, Grijesh Yadav (24), a resident Lakhawar village under the Ghosi police station area in the district.Yadav’s family members alleged that he was tortured in police custody.
Irate villagers surrounded Ghosi police station and took away the body. Some police constables were injured in heavy stone pelting by the villagers and a police vehicle was also damaged.
Sources said criminal elements in the mob fired at least two rounds targeting police personnel, but the cops escaped unhurt. They said police also fired at least two rounds in air to disperse the mob.
However, Jehanabad SP Dipak Ranjan has denied claims of police firing. Ranjan said police have CCTV camera footages in which Yadav could be seen entering a toilet with charger wire.
“Police broke the toilet door to take him out. However, he had died by then. No injury mark was found on Yadav’s body. Only ligature mark was there in neck. He was brought to police station for interrogation in a bike theft case on Wednesday night,” he said.
The SP added Yadav had been arrested on a couple of occasions in the past for his involvement in criminal cases, including bike theft.
Ranjan said an officer on duty at the police station and a chowkidar, who were supposed to keep an eye on Yadav, have been suspended for dereliction of duty.
This is the second such violence in Jehanabad within two weeks. On July 24, a woman constable, Kanti Devi (54), was killed and at least 15 police personnel, including a trainee DSP, were injured on NH-110 near Nehalpur Bazaar under Paras Bigha police station area in a violent clash between villagers and police after the death of one Govind Majhi (25) inside Daudnagar sub-jail.