Nawada teen killed in police firing, two hurt

Nawada: A Mahadalit teenager was shot dead and two other Mahadalit youths, including a physically challenged one, were critically injured when police opened fire on a group of alleged gamblers at Laund market under Sirdalla police station area in Nawada district on late Wednesday night.
Elsewhere at Sahajpura village under Kadiirganj police outpost of Nawada Town police station, Sahdeo Chauhan, an EBC, who was alleged to have been thrown out of a community hall by police on Tuesday late night, succumbed to his injuries at PMCH, leading to a road blockade on Thursday morning by the villagers.
Nawada SP A K Burman told TOI the five cops involved in the Laund market incident have been suspended. According to him, following reports that gamblers had gathered at Laund bazaar on Wednesday night, a team comprising ASI Subash Yadav and five SAP jawans conducted raid on the gambling den and arrested two local youths involved in gambling. However, the police team was outnumbered and pelted with stones. When a SAP jawan, Ghanshyam, was assaulted and an attempt made to snatch his service weapon, he fired in self-defence, resulting in the death of Rakesh alias Pappu Choudhary, 17, and bullet injuries to Upendra Choudhary (physically challenged) and Gorelal Choudhary.
However, Anuj Kumar, husband of Laund panchayat mukhia Anjali Devi, told TOI the villagers were celebrating Diwali and holding 'kirtan-bhajan' when police opened fire at them following their refusal to stop their midnight 'puja'. He added the deceased Pappu was the lone male child of his parents, who are agricultural workers. Angry villagers have demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh besides a government job to one of the family members of the deceased.
Rajauli’s RJD MLA Prakash Veer and Nawada’s RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav reached the place around noon and demanded action against the policemen concerned as well as adequate relief and compensation. The two injured have been referred to PMCH. An FIR against the cops was lodged by Nagendra Chaudhary, uncle of the deceased, while a counter FIR was lodged by the police at Sirdalla PS against a large number of villagers for attacking the police team.