A sub-inspector (SI) of the Bihar police allegedly killed a fellow officer for ‘occupying the front seat of a vehicle despite being a Dalit’.
The accused is on the run and the state rights panel has ordered action against him.
The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed Saran range deputy inspector general of police and superintendent of police to ensure that the property of the ‘killer’ SI, Ajay Kumar Singh Yadav, is attached.
The police have also been asked to complete the investigation into the case by January 31, 2015.
The commission has also asked the district magistrate of Saran in north Bihar and the state home department whether compensation has been paid to the family of the deceased, SI Krishna Baitha.
Baitha’s next of kin are entitled to a compensation of Rs. 7.5 lakh as admissible under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Rules, 2014.
The case relates to a complaint filed by Surendra Kumar Rajak of village Jaisingh under Turkvalia police station of north Bihar’s East Champaran district.
In his complaint, Rajak said his father, an SI at Saran’s Baniapur police station, was killed in September, 2013 by Yadav, over a trivial issue of who would sit on the front seat of a Bolero.
“SI Yadav told my father that being a dhobi (a scheduled caste), how could he sit in the front seat of the vehicle. He then took out his service revolver and fired at my father,” Rajak claimed.
“My father was rushed to the Patna Medical College Hospital where he regained consciousness for a while but died later that night,” he said in his complaint.
He claimed though an FIR had been registered after some delay on September 2, 2013, Yadav was never arrested.
Rights panel member Neelmani said in his initial response to the commission’s notice, the DIG cited the report of Saran SP, stating a definite conclusion could not be arrived at about the guilt of the accused.
“Finding undue delay in investigation of such an important case, the commission directed the DIG to appear before the commission with a definitive report,” he said.
