Patna: Police outposts were torched, vehicles targeted and traffic blocked as the funeral procession of slain Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeswar Singh from Ara to the state capital turned violent on Sunday.
An uneasy calm prevailed in Bhojpur district, where Singh alias 'Mukhiyaji', the dreaded private militia of 'upper caste' landowners, was gunned down yesterday by six unidentified gunmen at Katira, 71 kms from Patna, while he was on a morning walk.
Police patrolling was intensified in Ara town where curfew was clamped after incidents of violence.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has appealed for calm and said investigations were underway to trace the killers.
The state was put on a high-alert since the killing and Director General of Police Abhayanand and senior police officials met here this morning and reviewed the situation.
Several police outposts were burnt, police and private vehicles were damaged and the usually busy Bailey Road was blocked for several hours.
Sena supporters, who turned up in a large number of vehicles including motorcycles, stopped at Bihta, Danapur and Saguna More throwing vehicular traffic out of gear. They also blocked roads today at Bhagalpur and at several places between Ara and Patna.
Bihar BJP president C P Thakur and a few BJP MLAs went to Bihta to pay floral tributes to Singh and participated in the funeral procession at some places along the route.
At one stage, Thakur was pulled out of his vehicle and some in the procession pelted stones at his car.
A DIG-rank officer has been entrusted with the task of probing the Ranvir Sena chief's killing and submit report within a month.
Violence continued even when the funeral procession reached Bansghat crematorium here on the banks of Ganga here.
The Sena men clashed with the police and set fire to the vehicle of a deputy superintendent of police after overturning it, official sources said adding they also burnt a bus of Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC).
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, his LJP counterpart Ramvilas Paswan and state Congress leaders have demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing.
Meanwhile DGP Abhay Anand said the process of
identification of those who indulged in violence during the funeral procession wuld begin soon.
"We have obtained TV footages of those involved in damaging police and private vehicles, arson. They would not be spared," he said.
"We have started process of identification of those who took law in their own hands," he said.
The state Home department Principal Secretary Aamir Subhani held a high level meeting with top police officials here and discussed the strategy to ensure peace and prevent recurrence of violencce.
Subhani reviewed the latest situation and asked the police officials to keep close watch on the situation and intensify round the clock patrolling in sensitive areas.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, June 02, 2012, 18:41