Click to play videoPatna (Bihar): Just a day after a chain-snatcher was brutally beaten up by a furious mob in the Bhagalpur district, Bihar, the incident has taken a political twist.
Soon after the incident, the state government suspended Assistant Sub-Inspector L B Singh and Constable Ramchandra Rai, and ordered a probe.
But, this is not where it ended. Battle lines were drawn when a group -- led by RJD activists -- took to the streets of Patna protesting against the police. The group stoned a police station.
In an attempt to tickle the religious sentiments of people and corner the Nitish Kumar government, the group stoned a police station and cried hoarse saying that the minority community was not safe in the state and that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had no control over the police.
Says RJD leader, Shyam Rajak, " The way in which this Muslim boy has been treated is so horrible, that I cannot find words to describe it."
The man -- Salim -- who has been at the center of the controversy, is lying in a Bhagalpur hospital and is now showing slow signs of recovery. But the question is whether his wounds of humiliation will really heal.
"I can't walk and my waist hurts. I want to ask my community for another chance," said Salim, who bore the brunt of the mob fury.
On Monday, Salim was caught trying to snatch a woman's chain in the Nath Nagar area of Bhagalpur. A mob soon gathered and beat up the man. His hands were tied behind his back as the crowd kicked and punched him in the face.
"I was coming from the temple when that person snatched my chain. The police soon reached the spot and started beating him up," says Shanti Devi, whose chain Salim was attempting to steal.
Salim was later tied to a motorcycle and dragged around. The footage shows a policeman riding the motorcycle to which he was tied. All this while the policemen present there did nothing to stop the mob.
The administration has sent a high level team to Bhagalpur, not only to probe the incident but also to ensure that communal flames don't flare up just like in 1989.
Says Bihar Home Secretary, Afzal Amanullah, " As soon as we got this news, the concerned officer was suspended. An enquiry is on to investigate why the incident took place."
"Nothing can be more cruel. I will speak to the Bihar government and ask them to take stringent action against those involved in the incident," added Union minister of State for Home, Sriprakash Jaiswal.
Meanwhile, IG-Headquarters and Spokesperson for Bihar Police, Anil Sinha, has admitted that there had been a gross violation of human rights.
"We have condemned the incident in no uncertain manner. We are as horrified as any right thinking citizen in the country would be and have already taken action by suspending the erring policemen. We have also registered an FIR against them. This is a gross violation of human rights and we stand by that," he said.
"This cannot be called communal tension. It is an incident of police brutality and I condemn it," added leader of the Lok Jan Shakti Party, Ram Vilas Paswan.
The incident has put the Bihar government in a tight spot. It will now have to answer embarrassing questions once the National Human Rights Commission team arrives from Delhi to probe the incident.
Meanwhile, the Bhagalpur DIG, Girja Nandan Sharma, has tried to play down the event.
"I don't think he was dragged. These visuals were taken to mar the image of the police," says he.
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