Friday, August 5, 2011

Gorari Police firing: Horrible tales of police atrocities in Rohtas district of Bihar



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: shabana khan <shabana@pvchr.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 5, 2011 at 4:41 PM
Subject: re: Gorari Police firing: Horrible tales of police atrocities
To: jrlawnhrc@hub.nic.in
Cc: akpnhrc@yahoo.com, Lenin Raghuvanshi <pvchr.india@gmail.com>



To,

Chairperson,

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi

 

Dear Sir,

I want to bring in your kind attention towards the news published in News First "Gorari Police firing: Horrible tales of police atrocities" http://www.newzfirst.com/web/guest/full-story/-/asset_publisher/Qd8l/content/gorari-police-firing:-horrible-tales-of-police-atrocities?redirect=%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fhome

Therefore it is kind request following the NHRC guideline FIR should be lodge against the police involved in the firing and than enquiry should be done by the independent agency.

Thanking You

Sincerely You

 

(Lenin Raghuvanshi)

Secretary General

PVCHR

SA 4/2 A Daulatpur, Varanasi

PIN – 221002

Mobile No: +91-9935599333

 

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Gorari Police firing: Horrible tales of police atrocities

 

 

 

(The media imagination of Chief Minister Nitish and his governance is much different from the ground reality. The claim of 'Good Governance' appears more as hype. After Forbesgunj firing incident the true face of administration was exposed, now this less talk firing incident is another feather in Nitish's Administration cap. Newzfirst correspondent travelled to ground zero and recorded the people's narrative. – Editor)

PATNA/ROHTAS - The police firing at Gorari, under Karakat Block of Rohtas District is a live example of to what extent state machinery could go in order to cover up its illegitimate actions. The idea of 'Good Governance' doesn't seem at work. Following stories of people suffering is a self explanation of ground reality.

Tale 1: A wooden bed covered with cotton bed-sheet on which 28 yrs old injured Pramod Rajjak was taking rest at outer courtyard of his un-plastered house. A white medicated bandage rolled over his right thigh. Static Pramod Rajjak wanted to get up after looking strangers along with his neighbor. Weary faced Rajjak, first wanted to get assurances that he would not land in any trouble after conversation.

'I was returning back to my house carrying kerosene oil for kitchen. I was in inner lane and chose other inner lane to reach house as soon as possible after hearing the sound of uproars at main road' said Rajjak with a weak voice. He further added 'I saw Police suddenly barging into that lane and fired over running crowd. I found myself unable to ran away and sat down at a corner, found profusely bleeding from my thigh'

Police on the direction of District Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohtas, Manu Maharaj, arranged the treatment of Pramod Rajjak at private clinic. Dr. Ashok Singh, also a doctor in Govt hospital running a private clinic, said 'our X-Ray plate shows there was a bullet inside his flesh of right thigh. We do not have facility for this operation so I referred him to Bikramganj hospital. Where he was treated at Rohtas Nursing Home, a private clinic run by Dr. Raghvendra Sharma, also a govt. doctor'  

Eleven persons injured according to register found at govt. hospital where the name of Pramod Rajjak was not mentioned. Besides this, the injury of four police men, the Junior Sub Inspector of Garouri Police Station, RB Sharma claimed, not mentioned in the register.

Rajjak family asserted that SP himself called him and talked personally. The content of the meeting was not shared. An old man with wrinkled face, named Jaddu Rajjak, who was sitting at the gate of husk room, wanted to share but he was asked by a house hold lady to keep silent. There were mists of fear in courtyard.  

The locals said he was lured by SP for better prospect in the company. Rajjak is migrant worker at Saloni district of Himachal Pradesh, where SP Manu Maharaj belongs. ITI diploma holder Rajjak worked at electronics goods manufacturing company.

Rajjak didn't have any documents regarding its treatment. 'A compounder visited every evening to nurse me. I don't know, even his name' says Rajjak. He further said 'When I asked for, he only said I am following the order of higher official'

The slum or village was littered with uncovered sewage, emanates foul smell. 

Tale 2: Rickshaw Puller Dilip Kumar Chandravanshi, aged 30 yrs, too fallen prey to Police atrocities. His only source of livelihood was Rickshaw, which was confiscated by police men on the very day of firing. He lent his Rickshaw to protesting traders for campaigning. He was not the part of protestors but this protest offered him an opportunity to earn on that day as whole market was closed down.

'My three children along with old mother would face food scarcity like situation if I would not get back my Rickshaw soon' said Dilip, tears rolled over his cheek which he wiped by his cotton towel. 'What was my fault? They were protesting for their concern. I was busy in meeting both ends' added thin, bearded, unbuttoned maroon color shirt worn Dilip.

Tale 3: Pushpa Devi, 40 yrs, was thrashed by Police men.  'Policemen stormed into her house after breaking down the door, 'beat mercilessly father-in law Ram Bachan Prasad, his Son Surendra Prasad and abused me' said wailing Pushpa Devi.

Tale 4: A 14 yrs old, class Ninth student Sonu Kumar, son of Jitendra Prasad, was taken under custody while he was returning from School. Then, he had spent whole night at Police station and let off in the morning to attend School Examination. Despite, Police mentioned his name in its FIR.

Tale 5: Munna Kumar Saundik, 35 yrs, thrown out from one roof to other in which he suffered severe spinal cord injury. People said he has been under the treatment at Varanasi Medical Hospital, Uttar Pradesh.

There has been long list of police atrocities inflicted upon the villagers of Gorari. Police had implicated Upendra Kumar, a Railway Employee at Mumbai, who was on duty on very day he was planning to approach State Human Rights Commission. An LIC agent was also fabricated in this case. An FIR was filed by Ram Bachan Prasad, a victim, against Police atrocity in court.  

Background of this unwarranted Incident

The Gorari village, under Karakat Block is 130 km of south-west from Patna. State Highway bisecting it North-South endowed with large business possibilities. The traders, ranging from jewelers, SIM card to betel shops had been facing regular theft from last four months. They had been registering complaints again and again and protesting before Gorari Police Station. Finally! Their long awaited patience came to an end as there was no any-kind improvement in the working style of Police. As 41 thefts took place in last two months, traders had registered their peaceful protest two months back, which was called off after getting assurance from Sub- Inspector SS Madhukar.  

In the night of 21 July, thefts took place at three shops. When traders went to register complaint at Police Station, they all were ridiculed by SS Madhukar by innuendo. The suggestive remark of SI gravely offended the bereaved traders. On 22 July, all the traders decided to practice community policing and hire private Nepali Guards. But on the very night, three thefts again took place. On 23 July morning, the news of theft spread like wildfire in the Gorari and adjoining villages. Traders conveyed their indefinite protest program of road block to local police station, where SI SS Madhukar, threatened them with dire consequences. But traders didn't deter with that threat, blocked the road and placed their demand to replace Gorari SI and wanted assurance from SP Rohtas, Manu Maharaj.

Dy. SP Pramod Kumar arrived with reinforcement from four police stations. As he was known to be very short temper person, got irritated with traders' demand. But he too couldn't comply with the demands of traders except oral assurances. Traders were in no mood of compromise over their dried words. It irked Pramod Kumar and he ordered the police force to drive away these protestors. So, the crowd went on berserk in response of this order. Police used cane and also fired over the crowd to overpower them.          

Dy. SP Pramod Kumar denied the firing report and claimed use of mild cane charge instead. He angrily reacted over the news of covering up of Pramod Rajjak bullet injury case. 'Nothing kind of firing has taken place. Some bullets were fired from mob side. We used only cane to control the mob' said Pramod Kumar, a thin old officer shown their much restraint over anger during this short discussion.

According to Public, 37 people were implicated in this case including a student of 14 years of age. Few of them are falsely implicated, 14 people were taken into custody, and 11 among them were seriously injured.

A person called Ravishankar Sharma was let off after being imprisoned by Police. When asked about the reason behind his letting off, Ravishanker Sharma himself said smilingly 'He is running wine shop'. Another person, Mahendra Kahar, bribed Police to eliminate his name from FIR.           

Firing and other genuine issues:

This incident raises number of genuine issues which have been buried in the name of good governance since NDA came to power in Bihar. The firing over the protestors is becoming new fashion of the Bihar Police. Whether it would be Forbesganj, Madwan, Aurangabad, or Bhagalpur, Police atrocities are of same kind. Every time police clarifies that firing was to control 'mob' as it turned violent.

Here, the important question is why the Govt did not allow its machinery to meet or discuss with the protestors about the grievances; every time their demands and needs were ignored and finally accused of turning violent. Was the demand of traders unnecessary? This could be sorted out amicably if senior officials wanted.

Any comment about Pramod Rajjak's upcoming life would be like soothsaying. Whether his life would turn around or not, is not genuine issue. But anyone could guess easily about Dilip Kr Chandrvanshi. He become jobless and has no other skill to support his family. He had spent few years as migrant laborer in Punjab and Delhi and then decided to return Bihar forever after buying Rickshaw. It is confirmed that he was unaware about the procedural commandment of the court. It would be easy for him to again go back to earlier job rather than to go into the complexities of law.

When asked about his Rickshaw to J.S.I RB Sharma, he and his colleague smiled and continued themselves busy with mobile phones.  

 

 

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