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11 shot dead in Siwan, Bihar

Eleven people, all belonging to one family, were killed in an attack by miscreants in Mujahidpur village in Siwan, north Bihar Friday night. One person was injuried.

Bihar Director General of Police K A Jacob, told rediff.com that a dispute over a matt (religious trust) land led to the killing.

The attackers entered a house in the village and indiscriminately opened fire on the sleeping occupants, killing 11 including women and children.

Jacob attributed the massacre to the gang war, but refused name the gang involved. All those killed are Yadavs.

Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav has left for Mujahidpur Saturday morning.

According to reports, the Satish Pandey gang recently tried to wrest control of the matt by installing his own man, belonging to Yadav caste, as the pujari. He was reportedly brought from Uttar Pradesh. This incensed the other group, which attacked the village on Friday night.

Independent sources said the massacre might be in retaliation to the killing of two Muslims a night earlier. Some reports said that the two persons killed were the supporters of RJD MP Shahabuddin.

Satish Pandey is a notorious outlaw who contested the election from Darauli on a Samata Party ticket. These days he is posing a challenge to Shahabuddin, whose sway in Siwan district has been till recently undisputed.

PTI adds: The killing sparked off communal tension in the Muffasil police area as involvement of assailants of a minority community was suspected in the carnage.

Jacob said two additional companies of central para-military personnel were deployed at the site to prevent any escalation of tension.

Jacob said three Yadavas of the village had been killed three to four days ago by unidentified assailants and subsequently two Muslims were killed there on Thursday in a retaliatory strike.

The eleven killed were identified as: Laxan Deo Choudhury, Janakdeo Choudhury, Vinay Kumar, Renu Kumari, Raghuvir Choudhury, Yaduir Choudhury, Janardan, Harram, Rajukumar, Balbir and Pahari.

Official sources said police had seized one AK-47 rifle three rifles, one gun, one carbine and rounds of ammunition when they took into custody five notorious criminals after conducting search at Dhanauti last Saturday.

Sources said the criminals allegedly owing allegiance to a group locked in a war of attrition for occupation of the disputed land had taken shelter at Dhanauti to plan a carnage but on a tip-off, police captured the criminals.

As tension ran high, senior police officials including the DIG (police), Siwan, police superintendent and other police officials were camping at the spot to oversee the situation.

Chief Minister Rabri Devi and Laloo Yadav have expressed concern over the killing and directed the authorities to immediately arrest the culprits.

An official spokesman said the chief minister had also sought an immediate report from the district authorities about the situation and action taken.

A combing operation has been launched to arrest the killers by sealing the entry and exit points of Siwan.

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