ASI, contractor killed in Vaishali; Paswan attacks Nitish

An Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police (ASI) and a contractor were shot dead, and firing took place outside the residence-cum clinic of a noted doctor in separate incidents in Vaishali district, police said today.

The incidents prompted Union Minister and Hajipur MP Ramvilas Paswan to attack Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by claiming that "jungle raj was back" in the state.

The body of ASI Ashok Kumar Yadav, who was on leave, was found in Manua village today, Superintendent of Police Vaishali, Rakesh Kumar, said.

The ASI was killed allegedly by unidentified assailants and the reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, the SP said.

Dr P N Jha of Sadar Hospital, who conducted the post-mortem, said four bullets were found from the body of the policeman and the bullets appear to be those used by police.

In another incident, sand contractor Himanshu Kumar was gunned down allegedly by unknown persons and his body was found from near Bidupur bazar this morning.

The SP said investigation is on. Meanwhile, over twelve rounds of firing took place outside the residence-cum clinic of a noted physician of Hajipur, Vivekanand Jha, at around 11 PM last night when the doctor was inside, Town Inspector Shankar Jha said.

The incidents prompted Ram Vilas Paswan to attack the Nitish Kumar government claiming a string of killings showed that "jungle raj was back" and the Chief Minister was "helpless".

"There are three ministers from Vaishali region in Nitish government including two sons of RJD chief Lalu Prasad of whom one is also Deputy Chief Minister," he said.

"Still, all this is happening in Vaishali. What will happen to the security of people when the police is not safe in Bihar. Why the Chief Minister is so helpless and silent on all this," Paswan told PTI.

Paswan will be visiting his constituency tomorrow to take stock of the situation. "He (Nitish) used to take pride in being called 'Sushashan Babu'. After engineers, doctors and traders, even policemen are not safe. There is no government in Bihar. Extortion is being done openly.

"The situation in the state has become worse than what it was in 1990 when RJD ruled the state. When we used to say that jungle raj will be back if Lalu Nitish combine came to power, they used to react strongly. See, jungle raj is back in such a short span of rule," Paswan said.

Besides Paswan, president of Lok Janshakti Party, its senior coalition partner BJP too slammed the Grand Alliance government of JD(U)-RJD-Congress on the series of crimes.

"Even as the sequence of bank loot, extortion demand to officials of construction companies are yet to stop, criminals now started targeting policemen," senior BJP leader Sushil Modi said in his statement.

"By killing ASI Ashok Kumar Yadav in Hajipur, criminals have posed a serious challenge to the state government. A month and a half back, an inspector was beaten to death at Lalganj in Vaishali district itself," he said.

Seeking to drive a wedge among ruling coalition partners, the senior BJP leader asked Lalu Prasad to break his silence over spate of crimes in recent times and answer "how long the rein of terror by criminals will continue?"

"RJD having the maximum number of 81 MLAs in the ruling coalition has a greater responsibility towards people than JD(U). Lalu Prasad should answer as despite his suggestion why the state government was not initiating strong steps against criminals?" he asked.

BJP ally and HAM(S) president Jitan Ram Manjhi also took a dig at the Nitish Kumar government over law and order situation.

"Police which promises to provide security to people are themselves not safe in Bihar. Not only crimes have increased in the state, but its nature has also changed," Manjhi, former chief minister, said.

He said, "I had told people during election campaign that if Grand Alliance comes to power, criminals would go out of control. Today, people are realising this."

HAM spokesman Vijay Yadav said that the party has decided to stage agitation in all the district headquarters on January 12 on farmers' issue as well as the rise in crime graph.