Days after Bihar BJP leader Vijay Kumar Singh died due to a lathi-charge conducted by the Bihar police, a complaint was lodged against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, a senior police officer, and Patna’s district magistrate. The complaint has been lodged by BJP worker Krishna Singh in Patna civil court.
The BJP has also formed a four-member committee of party MPs to investigate the alleged use of unjustified force by Bihar Police on its leaders during a protest march on 13th July. The BJP says that one of its members, Vijay Singh, was killed and numerous others were injured in a police lathi charge in Patna on Thursday when BJP leaders took out a march to protest against the Bihar government over the posting of teachers and the employment issue in the state.
However, the police have claimed that Vijay Singh didn’t die due to the police action. They have claimed that CCTV footage showed that the BJP’s Vijay Kumar Singh was not at the Dak Bungalow crossing when “mild” force was used to disperse the protestors. It has also been claimed by the police that the doctors said that there were no such injury marks on the body of the deceased BJP leader.
The police in its defence earlier, claimed that they tried to stop the march at the Dak Bungalow crossing, which inflamed the situation. The protesters were stopped from heading towards the restricted VIP area by the police using force.
BJP’s Krishna Singh has now filed a lawsuit in which he accused CM Nitish Kumar, deputy CM and Patna SSP Rajeev Mishra, and DM Chandrashekhar Singh of “murdering” a BJP worker. A complaint has been made under sections 302, 307, 341 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as other pertinent sections.
Union Minister Nityanand Rai on the other hand claimed that Jungle Raj has returned in Bihar.
“It was similar to what the British had done with people protesting the Simon Commission. The kind of cruelty witnessed on the streets of Patna was a reminder of General Dyer who is remembered for his barbaric way of crushing those demanding justice. Indeed, Jungle Raj 3.0 has arrived in Bihar,” stated Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.
Eyewitness who claimed Vijay Singh was not beaten by police changes statement
Earlier, a person named Bharat Prasad Chandravanshi, who was with Vijay Singh, had said that Vijay Singh was injured after he fell in the stampede during the protest. His statement given in Patna was being used by SP leaders to claim that the BJP leader didn’t die due to the police lathi charge.
"जो बोलना चाहिए वो भूल से हम बोल दिया…वो (बयान) अकुलाहट में हम दे दिया…"
— Bihar Tak (@BiharTakChannel) July 15, 2023
पटना बवाल मामले में आया नया मोड़, हमारे संवाददाता ने जब चश्मदीद से बात की तो वो अपने बयान से पलट गए। सुनिए क्या कह रहे हैं चश्मदीद भरत प्रसाद चंद्रवंशी।#Patna #BiharNews #BJP pic.twitter.com/fRq60SXxDK
But now Bharat Prasad Chandravanshi, saying that Vijay Sinhg was indeed assaulted by police. He said that he gave the wrong statement in a hurry. He said that Vijay Singh was lathichrged by police, after which he fell down on the ground. Chandravanshi gave the updated statement to the media after returning to Jehanabad from Patna.
Bharat Chandravanshi told that he and Vijay Singh along with 10-12 of party workers had gone to Patna to participate in the protest. As soon as they reached Gandhi Maidan, police started lathi charges on the BJP workers. Soon after that there was a stampede among the workers present there. His companion Vijay Singh also became a victim of police lathi-charge and he got hurt on his head and fell down.
Chandravanshi said that Vijay Singh was taken in a rickshaw to Tara Hospital, where his treatment was started. But later doctors said that he has succumbed to the injuries. Still, he was taken to PMCH, where doctors declared him brought dead.
