Close shave for Manjhi as convoy attacked in Gaya

Gaya, May 26

The convoy of former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi was attacked here today by a mob protesting the killing of an LJP leader by Maoists and demanding immediate arrest of the accused.

Magadh range DIG Suarabh Kumar said the mob hurled stones and set afire two motorcycles and a jeep of the convoy, but Manjhi and everyone accompanying him escaped unhurt.

Hindustani Awam Morcha president Manjhi is safe and secure and has been taken to the CRPF Cobra battalion camp in the town, the DIG said.

The mob attacked the convoy while it was crossing Dumaria Mor in the town, where locals were protesting the killing of LJP leader Sudesh Paswan and his cousin Sunil Paswan by the Maoists on Wednesday.

The protesters had in their possession two bodies and refused to hand them over to the police.

After attacking Manjhi’s convoy, the mob turned its ire on the Dumaria police station, around 200 m from the spot where Manjhi’s convoy was attacked. It threw stones and fired at it and set ablaze a police jeep, the DIG said. Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) Manoj Yadav was hit on the head and a few policemen were injured, forcing the police to burst teargas shells to disperse the mob. “The situation is under control now,” he said. — PTI