Munger/Lakhisarai: The GRP
personnel, who claimed that they opened fire to foil a robbery
attempt on a train in Bihar critically injuring a vendor,
actually tried to extort passengers in the early hours on Saturday,
police said after a preliminary inquiry.
Official reports had earlier said that the GRP personnel
had fired trying to foil an attempt by robbers to loot
passengers of Jamlpur-Kiul DMU train at Dhanuri railway
station in Lakhisarai district.
IG (Railway) S K Bardwaj, who rushed to the spot after
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered state police chief to get
the incident inquired into, rejected the ealier report and
said after a preliminary inquiry "it appears to be a case of
high handedness and illegal act by the GRP personnel."
He also ordered arrest of all the six GRP personnel -- a
sub-inspector, a havildar and four constables.
Bardwaj said the GRP men had tried to extort money from
some businessmen travelling on the train and was resisted.
Other passengers, who too put up a resistance alerted their
relatives over their mobile phones.
When the train arrived at Dhanuri, the personnel faced
angry protestors waiting for them on the platform and afraid
of assault, they opened fire, he said.
Earlier, the chief minister ordered Director General of
Police Anand Shankar to get the train robbery incident
inquired into and submit a report.
"In fact they (the GRP personnel escorting the train)
opened fire trying to scare away some passengers who resisted
their illegal act in the train," Bardwaj said.
A stray bullet fired by them hit the vendor Rakesh
Kumar of nearby Pavai village and critically injured him,
Superintendent of Police (Railway) Bimal Kumar said.
The injured vendor was admitted to Patna Medical College
and Hospital and was operated upon, he said.
PTI
