Two persons belonging to Mahadalit community shot dead in Bihar

Two persons belonging to Mahadalit community were shot dead while three others injured in firing by unidentified persons in Bihar's Purnea district, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place in Chandpur Bhangahan village under the jurisdiction of Jankinagar police station on Friday midnight when some armed people reached the house of a Mahadalit family and started thrashing them with cane, stick and iron rod and later shot dead two persons, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Anmol Rishi (50) and Subodh Rishi (45), both residents of Chandpur Bhangahan village, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Vibhash Kumar said.

Police are investigating the matter, the SDPO said while refusing to say anything on the reasons behind the incident except that the incident seems to be the result of a land dispute between Mahadalits and other persons of the village.

A police team is camping in the village after the incident, he added.

The three injured persons - Bhupendra Rishi, Tetar Rishi and Raj Kumar Rishi- have been admitted to Banmankhi referral hospital for treatment, the SDPO said.

Bhupendra Rishi, one of the three injured persons, said that around 50 persons armed with weapons, cane, iron rod suddenly attacked their houses. They (the miscreants) first beat us with canes, sticks and iron rods and then they fired at two persons killing them on the spot.