“A dreadful noise of rape, robbery, and murder” all over Bihar, says Tejashwi Yadav

Leader of opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday alleged that the Nitish Kumar government is “protecting” the perpetrators of a couple of high-profile murders that took place in the state this week.

“There is Maha Jungle Raj in Bihar. There is a dreadful noise of rape, robbery and murder all over the state. Corruption is at its peak due to administrative chaos in Bihar,” addressing a press conference in the state capital Patna, Yadav said.

Minister behind murder

Yadav alleged that a minister in the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar was involved in the killing of a former Zilla Parishad member’s husband in Purnia district.

Rintu Singh, whose wife is a member of the Zila Parishad in Purnea, was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Friday night, and bereaved family members have named a nephew of minister Lesi Singh as the prime accused.

The key Opposition leader in the state challenged the government to cull out the “call details record of Lesi Singh and the SHO of the police station concerned”, alleging that the same would point towards the involvement of the cabinet member herself.

“Nitish Kumar’s minister Leshi Singh and her nephew are accused. The SHO has been suspended but when the deceased’s relatives are clearly accusing Leshi Singh and her nephew then why is the state govt and its head silent?” the RJD leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

“Nitish Kumar should set a time frame – if he is going to remove his minister (Leshi Singh), when will action be taken? How many women become widows before Nitish Kumar wakes up? He should give clarification and sack the minister. Let’s see if it happens,” Tejashwi said.

Rintu Singh had lodged a police complaint on November 3, stating he apprehended a threat to his life from Ashish Singh, the nephew of Leshi Singh, the Minister for Food and Consumer Protection in the state, Hindustan Times reported

“Health sector mafia” in the state

Yadav further blamed the “health sector mafia” in the state for the murder of journalist and RTI activist Buddhinath Jha, who had gone missing a few days ago and whose charred body was recovered from a secluded spot in Benipatti police station area of Madhubani on Friday night

Buddhinath disappeared two days after he uploaded a Facebook post that named medical clinics that he alleged were “fake”. His work had led to the closure of some such clinics and massive fines for others, according to ND TV.

During his reporting, the 22-year-old Buddhinath apparently received numerous threats and offers of lakhs in bribes, neither of which deterred him from his work.