Begusarai firing: 7 cops suspended, probe points to four suspects

Seven policemen in Bihar’s Begusarai were suspended on Wednesday for lapse in duty after one person was killed in a mass shooting on Tuesday evening, police said.

While two persons were initially believed to be behind the act, CCTV footage suggests the involvement of four people. While a reward of ₹50,000 has been announced for “credible leads” pertaining to the suspects, five people have been detained for questioning, police added.

Additional director general of police (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said three companies of Bihar special auxiliary police (BSAP), a unit of the Bihar special task force (STF), has been rushed to Begusarai to maintain law and order.

A 25-year-old man was killed and 10 were injured after unidentified bike-borne assailants opened fire at 10 locations in the district shortly after 6pm. The assailants appeared to have arrived in Begusarai from the adjoining Samastipur district on National Highway-28, a senior officer had earlier said.

Police said seven cops, who were on patrolling duty, were suspended for failing to stop the gunmen. Those who were suspended were sub-inspectors (SIs) Shashibhusan Singh, Mukru Hembram, assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) Binod Prasad, Krishna Kumar and constables Ramendra Kumar Yadav, Sanjay Kumar and Ramkrishna Singh.

The footage of more than 100 CCTVs installed along NH-28 were scanned and four suspects were found travelling on two motorcycles, police said. The suspects are yet to be identified, they added.

“All the images have been circulated to policemen within the district as well as adjoining districts to identify them,” Begusarai range DIG Satyaveer Singh said, adding that police are also trying to gather human intelligence against the suspects.

Begusarai superintendent of police (SP) Yogendra Kumar said teams have been formed to track the suspects. “We have formed four separate teams to nab the suspects. Five suspects have been detained for questioning. The pillion riders on the two motorcycles were firing indiscriminately on people,” he said.

Meanwhile, chief minister Nitish Kumar assured strict action against the accused.

“Such an incident has never happened in Bihar. Where the anti-socials started from and where they reached needs to be ascertained and the police are on job. Action has also been taken against policemen who were found wanting in discharge of their duty,” he said.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, blocked a section of NH-28 to protest against the incident.

Begusarai MP and Union minister Giriraj Singh blamed the state government for the incident and slammed the “lack of law and order in the state”.