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Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008
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Centre seeks report on youth’s killing

K. Balchand

Nitish Kumar, Paswan, Lalu Prasad seek CBI probe into Mumbai incident

Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar trying to pacify angry people after meeting the father of Rahul Raj at his residence in Patna on Monday. The youth was killed by the Mumbai police as he tried to take control of a bus. —

NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought a report from Maharashtra on the death of Bihar youth Rahul Raj Kundan Prasad Singh in Monday’s shooting by Mumbai police. Three top leaders from Bihar cried foul, and sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to ensure the safety of Biharis in Maharashtra and prevent the situation from precipitating a crisis back home.

The Centre has decided to wait for Maharashtra’s response before considering the demand made by Union Ministers Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan, and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for a judicial probe or a CBI enquiry.

With more parties raising their voice against the Mumbai police action and under pressure from the Centre, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has called for a report from Chief Secretary Johny Joseph. He was said to have assured Dr. Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil that the report would look into the circumstances in which the youth was shot dead and whether the killing could have been avoided. The report would be submitted at the earliest.

However, the Bihar leaders have stuck to their guns and pressed for a CBI probe. They condemned the police action and charged that Rahul Raj was murdered.

Mr. Prasad, Mr. Paswan and Mr. Kumar expressed their concern that the police action threatened to undo their efforts at keeping tempers in Bihar under control, which had been frayed by the attack on the State’s candidates who appeared for railway examinations in Mumbai centres.

The initial objective of the three leaders in meeting Dr. Singh was to ensure the safety of Biharis during the Chhath festival in the first week of November, but the shooting incident dominated the proceedings.

They said TV clippings clearly indicated that the police could have overpowered the youth and there was no need for shooting him dead. “He was neither a criminal nor terrorist for the police to act with such brutality,” they said in unison.

Mr. Kumar rushed to console Rahul’s family much before the body arrived at his house from Mumbai after autopsy. He demanded that the incident be probed by the CBI for the truth to come out. Rahul had gone to Mumbai in search of a job and was agitated at the campaign and action of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and its chief Raj Thackeray against north Indians.

Mr. Kumar condemned Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil’s statement justifying the police action. He called for restraint and asked the people not to allow divisive forces like the MNS and Mr. Raj Thackeray to succeed in their designs.

An alert has been issued across Bihar and additional forces have been deployed at the Patna Junction as a precautionary measure.

The BJP staged demonstration in Patna against the police action. The Samajwadi Party too condemned the incident and demanded a judicial probe.

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