In Bhagwanpur village, located in the Pakridayal sub-division of East Champaran district, a land dispute took a violent turn on Thursday. Construction work had begun under police supervision, but as soon as the police left the site, a clash erupted between the two parties, involving sticks, batons, and sharp-edged weapons. During the clash, firing also took place, resulting in the death of a young man named Ajay Sahni on the spot, while four others were seriously injured. The injured were admitted to Motihari Sadar Hospital for treatment.
The victim's family alleges that they were constructing a house on the disputed land following a court order. According to them, Praveen Sahni, Shivraj Sahni, Naval Sahni, and Kuldev Sahni, along with dozens of others from the village, arrived armed and launched a sudden attack. According to Bindeshwari Sahni, the father of the deceased, the accused first stopped the construction, then started assaulting them, and soon, firing commenced. In this shooting, Ajay Sahni died on the spot, and his daughter was also injured.
Upon receiving information about the incident, the police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. The police have arrested five accused in this case so far, while the search for others continues. Police officials stated that the entire matter is being investigated seriously, and police personnel have been deployed in the village as a precautionary measure. There is an atmosphere of fear in the area following the incident.
Violence Erupts Due to Police Negligence
The police department is in an uproar after the bloody conflict over a land dispute in the Motihari district of East Champaran. Considering the seriousness of the entire matter, SP Swarna Prabhat himself reached the spot and inspected the crime scene. He stated that a long-standing dispute over the land had been ongoing between the two parties, for which the police had already taken precautionary measures. Despite this, violence erupted, resulting in the death of one young man and serious injuries to four others. The police, acting swiftly, have arrested five accused so far.
While briefing the press, the SP acknowledged that the construction of the house on the disputed land was being carried out under police supervision following a court order, but at the time of the clash, the Pakridayal SHO was absent from the scene. Considering this as administrative negligence, the SP has assigned the investigation of the entire matter to the ASP of Pakridayal. He also said that strict action would be taken against the guilty police personnel.
This incident has raised a big question about the administration's working style. Local people are angry that if the police had been present at the spot, perhaps this violence could have been avoided. Now that there has been a lapse in security despite the court's order, it will be important to see who the administration places the blame on for this lapse and what strict steps are taken in the future.
