Bihar: Dispute over draining out rainwater claims three lives in Samastipur

PATNA/SAMASTIPUR: A deputy mukhiya shot co-villager Shravan Kumar (30) dead over draining out accumulated rainwater near his house at Adharpur in the same panchayat under Mufassil police station area in Samastipur district on Monday.
In retaliation, the relatives of the deceased accompanied by some local residents attacked the house of the accused Md Hasnain and his wife Sanauwar Khatoon (35) and nephew Md Anwar (30).They also set Hasnain’s house ablaze and damaged a customer service centre at Khadi Bhandar Chowk. A car parked outside his house was also torched by the mob.
Shravan, a farmer by profession, died on the spot. While Anwar succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a hospital in Samastipur, Sanauwar drowned in a ditch filled with rainwater in her bid to escape the mob fury. Hasnain, however, managed to escape unhurt.
The trouble started on Sunday evening when Hasnain objected to a plastic pipe being laid by his neighbour Shravan to drain out accumulated rainwater near his house. Locals said the matter was settled after the intervention of some residents. At around 8am on Monday, Hasnain fired at Shravan when he was busy in draining out rainwater after cutting a portion of the road in front of the deputy mukhiya’s house.
IG, Darbhanga range, Ajitabh Kumar rushed to the spot and inquired about the incident. The senior officials, however, described the situation as tense but under control.
Samastipur DM Shashank Shubhankar said the incident took place following a dispute over draining out rainwater near the house of Shravan. His neighbour raised objections, leading to the death of three people from the two sides. He said additional armed police personnel and a magistrate have been deployed at the village to ward off any untoward incident.
The DM said those involved in the incident would not be spared. “Raids will be launched once the situation becomes normal,” he said, adding a meeting of the peace committee was also held at the village.