Two men, Khursheed Alam and Sonu Kumar Shah, lost their lives in a horrifying shooting incident that transpired on July 26th in the town of Barsoi in Bihar’s Katihar district. Niyaz Ahmed, who was severely injured during the incident, is presently receiving medical care at Siliguri Hospital in West Bengal, and his condition remains critical.
The event unfolded against the backdrop of widespread protests by residents grappling with persistent electricity outages in the area. These demonstrations escalated into clashes between the protestors and the electricity department. Tragedy struck when the police resorted to firing live rounds, resulting in the loss of lives as the bullets struck the protestors.
The Barsoi Police Station has lodged an FIR (First Information Report) against 44 individuals by name and an estimated 1000-1200 unidentified persons, invoking several sections of the Indian Penal Code. These sections encompass charges of rioting, armed with deadly weapons, unlawful assembly, intention to kill, hurting public servants, disrobing or compelling a woman to be naked, doing an act to endanger human life, and criminal conspiracy.
The aforementioned FIR (252/23 Barsoi Police Station) includes the name of the deceased, Khursheed Alam, as well as Niyaz Ahmed. It also cites other local leaders, including the Mukhiyas of the Panchayat.
Background
Barsoi town, situated adjacent to West Bengal, draws its electricity supply from a West Bengal Power grid. The town’s populace, primarily engaged in agriculture, small-scale enterprises, and daily wage labor, witnessed the advent of electricity only four years ago. This development prompted residents to invest their hard-earned savings in electric motors for farming and embrace electricity to energize their battery-operated rickshaws.
The recent power outage, resulting in less than six hours of daily electricity supply, deeply unsettled the residents. This was especially distressing as it led to significant losses in the agricultural sector.
Mustaqim, a local in Dighot Haat in Barsoi shared the predicament of the local community. He said to Maktoob that the access to electricity has turned into a privilege.
“Even battery-operated rickshaws are owned by people who luckily have stabilizers at home. It is challenging to power a single lightbulb at such low voltage,” he said.
On July 26, thousands of Barsoi’s residents gathered from all corners, having secured permission from the authorities, to register their protest against the ongoing power outage. Their objective was to present a memorandum to the officials of the electricity department by 10 AM. However, as noon approached, the officials failed to engage with them, fueling the protestors’ frustration. The demonstrators surged into the premises of the electricity department, leading to a situation that escalated to stone pelting. In response, the police resorted to opening fire to disperse the crowd, resulting in the death of two men, Khursheed Alam and Sonu Kumar Shah, while also inflicting severe injuries upon Niyaz Ahmed.
The devastation of two families
A fact-finding delegation from the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights undertook a visit to the families of the victims involved in the Barsoi incident. This includes author Saif Ul Islam.
Sonu Kumar Shah, aged 22, had aspired to become a Chartered Accountant but lost his life due to a gunshot wound to the head. His brother, Monu Shah, is employed on a seven-thousand-rupee per month contractual role as a data operator within the electricity department. On July 26, following his usual routine, Monu headed to the office.
Their father, Manik Chandra Shah, recounted that around half past eleven, Monu called home to inform the family about the chaotic situation unfolding at his workplace. In response, their mother dispatched Sonu, accompanied by his younger brother, to assess the situation at the electricity department. Upon arrival, they encountered a scene of stone pelting, and Sonu was shot by the police as he approached the electricity department’s entrance gate. Upon receiving the distressing news, the family rushed to the hospital.
Monu Shah, who was stationed at the electricity department, revealed that the senior officials of the department were conspicuously absent that fateful day, despite their awareness of the impending protest. Monu recounted that the main gate was secured and Vikas Ranjan, the sub-division officer (SDO-electricity), instructed the guard to stand at the office entrance before contacting the police station. With the commencement of the protests, Vikas Ranjan departed from the scene.
Monu shared, “The protestors had already assembled by the time we arrived at the office. Initially, we continued our work, but after about an hour, chaos erupted. Fearful, we locked the office door. My brother Sonu parked his motorcycle nearby and positioned himself by the electricity department gate with his hands in his pockets.” He went on to describe that approximately 25 policemen arrived and resorted to lathi-charging the protestors. The situation turned tragic as gunshots were fired, with one hitting Sonu and tragically leading to his demise. Monu attested to these events, stating, “The doctors presented us with the bullet retrieved during the postmortem, although they did not provide us with the autopsy report.”
The family alleged that the police forced them to cremate the body immediately. Monu is now afraid to lose his couple of months old job. He alleged that his colleague and heads of the office have refrained him from giving any statements in the media or he might lose his job. “Though it is a small job it gives us bread. They are powerful men,” said Monu.
The sole breadwinner died of a police bullet
Khursheed Alam, 30, was an auto driver from Chetna village. His father, Masih Ur Rehman, had already experienced the heartbreak of losing two sons in separate tragedies—an accident on the road and a fire incident. Alam had been the primary provider for his elderly parents and two disabled brothers, making his death even more tragic. Masih Ur Rehman expressed his frustration when the fact-finding team approached him. He recounted, “I was informed by a man from Barsoi about the incident. They had already taken my son’s body for a post-mortem. He was already deceased by the time we arrived at the scene. The police rejected our complaint and didn’t file an FIR. Shockingly, they lodged an FIR against my late son, Khursheed. They haven’t even shared the post-mortem report with me.” Emotionally overwhelmed, Rehman’s voice quivered, and he added, “I feel powerless in this situation. Who can I rely on? My strength has crumbled.”
Alan’s mother Lal Bano Khatoon was in tears while speaking with the fact-finding team. She said that her son used to drive an auto-rickshaw to support the family. “Our future is uncertain now. I demand justice and compensation for the death of my son,” she said.
Katihar SP Jitendra Kumar said the investigation is ongoing. The mob surrounded both police and electricity department staff, leading to controlled firing in self-defense, he said. In a contradictory statement, the SP also raised the possibility that the firing might have been carried out by anti-social elements.
CPI (ML) leader Mahboob Alam and Tauqeer Alam, National Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, have both called for a judicial investigation into the incident.
Nisar, a Balarampur resident, voiced his frustration regarding CPI (ML) MLA Mahboob Alam. He pointed out that despite participating in last year’s electricity protests, the local MLA was conspicuously absent this time. Nisar remarked, “As a representative, Alam should prioritize addressing issues like electricity, water, and everyday concerns. It seems his attention is on politics in Patna and Delhi, overlooking Balarampur’s problems like poorly maintained roads and frequent floods. This drives locals to seek employment in cities like Kolkata, Patna, Delhi, and Mumbai.”
Residents alleged that Alam was a strong voice during the former BJP- JD(U) government, however, he has turned lenient on this JD(U)-RJD government.
Voltage fluctuation, excessive bills, and power outage
Mohammad Irfan (name changed) brought attention to the challenges residents endure due to voltage fluctuations and extended power outages in rainy weather. He expressed dissatisfaction with the high electricity bills they receive, saying, “The bill sometimes ranges over 60 thousand. We have repeatedly reported this to the officials, but they have shown negligence towards our concerns. Our sense of helplessness led us to arrange a protest after discussing with local leaders, which we duly informed the police about. The protest continued peacefully for hours, and the situation escalated to stone pelting when no one came to accept the memorandum,” Irfan explained.
Another protester, Subhan Ali, noted that tension escalated when 9-10 gunshots rang out, followed by sporadic firing every 4-5 minutes. The police made no effort to disperse the protesters or make any arrests, instead opting for targeted shots. Subhan Ali stated, “The gravity of the power outage’s impact is evident in the fact that people joined the protest from distant areas. Many had pinned their hopes on simple conveniences like mixers and irons, envisioning a better future. This goes beyond personal aspirations, as the livelihoods of numerous individuals, especially e-rickshaw operators, are at stake due to the absence of electricity.”
A local resident from Barsoi, Abhishek (name changed), expressed the daily struggle for basic necessities. “Electricity is essential for our daily routines. Shopkeepers like me are struggling to sell beverages as we can’t keep them cool. The electricity problem is significantly impacting our sales,” shared Abhishek.
