The victim has named the MLA and said he was directly responsible for the firing.
A Janata Dal (United) MLA's son has been accused of opening fire at a group of people over a land dispute in Bihar's Bhagalpur, injuring four people. The MLA has, however, denied his son's involvement, saying he rushed there only after he heard of a fight in the area. The victim has named the MLA and said he was directly responsible for the firing.
Ashish alias Tinku, son of Gopalpur MLA Narendra Kumar Neeraj, alias Gopal Mandal, along with 20-25 people, reached Bhagalpur's Barari over a land dispute, where he allegedly opened fire, injuring four people. The fighting started over illegal occupation of 19 katthas of land, owned by one Lal Bahadur Singh. His wife Madhuri, their son Veer Bahadur, son's friend Sharad alias Ravi, and he himself, were injured in the incident. All were admitted to the Mayaganj Hospital for treatment.
Sharad alias Ravi was shot in the mouth, and has been referred to Siliguri for better treatment.
Ashish alias Tinku, son of Gopalpur MLA Narendra Kumar Neeraj, alias Gopal Mandal
Lal Bahadur Singh has accused Ashish, besides Dilip Mandal, Dhananjay Yadav, and 20-25 others, of starting a fight and opening fire. He says that Tarun, another son of Gopal Mandal, called his son Veer Bahadur Singh, and threatened him of violence if he did not move from the land. Shortly after receiving the call, 20-25 people reached his plot, fired shots, and started hitting them with sticks, he claimed. He also alleges that MLA Gopal Mandal called him from his own number, and from someone else's too, and threatened him to vacate that land or face grave consequences.
"Gopal Mandal had been threatening me for almost 15-20 days, to not step into my land. He started a transport business there. When we removed them from there, he again tried to occupy my land by putting up a boundary. When we tried to stop them, they attacked my family with guns, and rods. Sharad got shot in an attempt to save me. Gopal Mandal was behind the firing. There is no dispute, it's my land," Lal Bahadur Singh said.
Police later arrived at the spot, and said they will register a case.
SP City Swarna Prabhat confirmed that there was firing in Barari. "Further action will be taken by registering a case based on the statements of the injured," he said.
MLA Gopal Mandal, however, denied his son's involvement.