Union human resources development minister Dr Murali Manohar Joshi has denied any link with the outlawed Ranvir Sena, a private militia of upper caste landlords operating in parts of Bihar. Deposing before the Justice Amir Das commission probing politicians' nexus with the Sena responsible for several carnages in Bihar in the past, Joshi, through his lawyers Shambhu Prasad and Rajesh Kumar on Monday submitted before the commission that he had no association with the Sena and that he abhorred extremism and violence. His lawyers said Joshi neither knew Dilip Prasad, the then officer-in-charge of police station Nor Murari Lal Meena, the former SP of Bhojpur, who had reportedly levelled charges against him. Joshi said he had visited Laxmanpur Bathe following the massacre of Dalits to see the impact of the incident first hand as also to provide succour to the families of those massacred. Sixtyone people were killed by outlawed Ranvir Sena at Laxmanapu Bathe on December 1, 1997.

Bureau Report