— PHOTO: PTI

SHARING THEIR GRIEF: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with the relatives of six persons who were burnt alive in village Rampur Shyamchak in Vaishali district on Saturday.

RAGHOPUR: A woman and her five minor children, including two girls, were burnt to death in Rampur-Shyamchak village of Vaishali district early on Sunday, after her husband refused to withdraw a police complaint about the theft of a buffalo. The complainant, Bijendra Mahto, belonging to the extremely backward Kahar caste, with 90 per cent burns, is battling for life at the Patna Medical College Hospital.

According to the police, about 10 persons tied up Bijendra Mahto and set fire to his thatched hut past midnight. When Mahto lodged the complaint, Jagat Rai, his son and nephew were arrested and later let off on bail. Mahto charged that Rai had been insisting that he withdraw the complaint.

According to witnesses, Rai led the mob that torched the house and also fired in the air to prevent others from coming to the rescue of the family.

Nitish assures action

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited the village and suspended Raghopur police station officer-in-charge N. Khan.

He ordered an enquiry into the `inhuman act.' The Chief Minister said the bereaved family would be compensated adequately and provided a dwelling under the Indira Awas Yojana.

Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad and his wife and Leader of the Opposition Rabri Devi also visited the affected village.

UNI adds: Attributing ``political vendetta,'' former Chief Minister Rabri Devi demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

She also alleged that the oppressed section of society was subjected to excesses perpetrated by the influential classes under the present regime.

After visiting the spot, Ms Rabri Devi, claimed that the head of the victim's family had campaigned for her party in the last elections.

Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad announced a donation of Rs 50,000 for the bereaved family from the party fund.

He said the incident had transgressed boundaries of all parameters of civilisation. He said that the incident had exposed the administrative inefficiency of the Nitish Kumar Government

Bihar Congress president Sadanand Singh expressed grief over the incident and demanded immediate financial compensation to the bereaved family.

He said a team of senior leaders would visit the village on Monday to make an on the spot assessment.

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