Arijit Choubey

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has given his clearance to the police to charge Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat for his alleged involvement in communal clashes in the state's Bhagalpur two years ago.

Three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were suspended for allowing Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's vehicle go without verification of papers during a drive to ensure implementation of the amended motor vehicles act in Patna on Sunday, an official statement said.

The Nitish Kumar government has been the target of many attacks from the opposition for weeks over the communal violence that started out from Bhagalpur last month, and then rapidly spread to at least five other districts.

Surrounded by hordes of media personnel, Arijit Shashwat, the son of union minister Ashwini Choubey, was arrested late on Saturday night in Bihar's capital Patna, in connection with the communal clashes in Bhagalpur town in the state two weeks ago.

The Nitish Kumar government has appeared to let its alliance partner BJP influence its handling of the communal clashes in Bihar over the last fortnight. On Saturday, the government signalled that the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had put its foot down when it strongly opposed BJP leader Arijit Shashwat's request to the court for anticipatory bail.

In a development that could pave the way for the arrest of Union Minister Ashwini Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat, a Bhagalpur court today declined to shield the BJP leader's son from arrest. Arijit Shashwat, 36, is accused of leading a procession of right-wing members that raised provocative slogans leading to communal clashes.

Union minister Ashwini Choubey, whose son Arijit Sashwat is wanted in a case involving communal clashes in Bihar, today called the police case "garbage" and gave a clean chit to him, saying he has "not done anything wrong". His son questioned why he should I surrender.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has given his clearance to the police to charge Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat for his alleged involvement in communal clashes in the state's Bhagalpur two years ago.

Three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were suspended for allowing Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's vehicle go without verification of papers during a drive to ensure implementation of the amended motor vehicles act in Patna on Sunday, an official statement said.

The Nitish Kumar government has been the target of many attacks from the opposition for weeks over the communal violence that started out from Bhagalpur last month, and then rapidly spread to at least five other districts.

Surrounded by hordes of media personnel, Arijit Shashwat, the son of union minister Ashwini Choubey, was arrested late on Saturday night in Bihar's capital Patna, in connection with the communal clashes in Bhagalpur town in the state two weeks ago.

The Nitish Kumar government has appeared to let its alliance partner BJP influence its handling of the communal clashes in Bihar over the last fortnight. On Saturday, the government signalled that the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had put its foot down when it strongly opposed BJP leader Arijit Shashwat's request to the court for anticipatory bail.

In a development that could pave the way for the arrest of Union Minister Ashwini Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat, a Bhagalpur court today declined to shield the BJP leader's son from arrest. Arijit Shashwat, 36, is accused of leading a procession of right-wing members that raised provocative slogans leading to communal clashes.

Union minister Ashwini Choubey, whose son Arijit Sashwat is wanted in a case involving communal clashes in Bihar, today called the police case "garbage" and gave a clean chit to him, saying he has "not done anything wrong". His son questioned why he should I surrender.