Patna, March 26 (IANS) In a major administrative crackdown in Muzaffarpur, SSP Kanthesh Kumar Mishra has suspended the entire police raiding team involved in the controversial Gaighat incident, including then SHO Raja Singh.
The action follows an inquiry report submitted by Rural SP Rajesh Kumar, which identified serious lapses in the conduct of the raid carried out on the night of March 17–18, 2026, in Chorniya village, under the Gaighat police station area.
According to the findings, the police team faced violent resistance from villagers during the raid, including stone-pelting, attack with sticks, and even firing.
Amid the chaos, SHO Raja Singh reportedly fired in the air to escape, but tragically, a local resident—Jagatveer Rai—lost his life during the incident.
The inquiry highlighted multiple serious shortcomings, including that the raid was conducted without adequate force or proper intelligence inputs.
The raiding team also ignored the earlier resistance in the same village during an earlier raid, which had gone unnoticed.
The finding report also indicates that the team failed to exercise restraint, allowing the situation to escalate and resulting in an intelligence failure. A watchman, Prahlad Kumar, did not alert the team about potential threats or the accused's background.
Based on these findings, the Muzaffarpur SSP suspended Raja Singh, the then SHO, Gaighat police station, Manish Kumar, a sub-inspector, Ranjan Kumar (PTC), Chandni Kumari (Lady Constable), Om Prakash (Driver Constable), and Prahlad Kumar (Watchman).
Additionally, a recommendation has been sent to the District Magistrate for action against Home Guard personnel involved in the operation.
This decisive step by the district police has created a significant stir within the department and is being seen as an attempt to ensure accountability amid rising concerns over policing methods and law-and-order issues in Bihar.
The action of the Muzaffarpur SSP came a day after Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly, reached the affected village and consoled the deceased family on Wednesday.
He has also alleged that the SHO was allegedly shot the farmer Jagatveer Rai after entering his house.
--IANS
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