BJP slams Nitish Kumar government over custodial death of elderly

Former NDA ally BJP today slammed Nitish Kumar government over custodial death of an old man under mysterious circumstances following which, enraged villagers had assaulted Officer In-Charge of Shakurbad police station.

Devaki Chaudhary was arrested on Thursday evening on the charge of power theft and taken to police station where his condition became serious prompting police to take him to hospital where he was declared brought dead yesterday morning The state government has become "insensitive" to the common man's plight, former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said after visiting the family of the 70-year-old victim belonging to "mahadalit" (a sub section of the dalit).

"Death of an elderly man over non-payment of power bill of Rs 6000 reflects police atrocity on poor in the state under Kumar," he said.

The senior BJP leader demanded registration of a case under 302 against the erring officers and payment of Rs 5 lakh compensation to his family.

Besides being an old man, Modi said, the victim hailed from mahadalit section, a BPL cardholder and was physically handicapped.

"The atrocity committed on him is enough to prove the sorry condition of poor and downtrodden in the state under the present regime," he remarked.

The death of Chaudhary had incensed a mob from Gagankura village who barged into Shakurbad police station and assaulted the Officer In-Charge Vijay Kumar and vandalised the police station before torching the car parked there yesterday.