A popular leader of CPI(ML) in Runni-Saidpur of Sitamarhi district, Comrade Ashok Sah, was killed in police custody in the local thana after he was arrested at mid-night on October 4 on fake charges. Comrade Ashok, formerly a CPI(M) activist, had joined the CPI(ML) along with many others some years ago and had been at the forefront of people’s struggles. Recently he had been involved in the movement for providing relief to the flood victims in the district and had exposed the nexus of local political leaders with corruption in PDS distribution.

Comrade Ashok’s wife Manju Devi, (who had also lost the use of one of her legs in police firing on a 1998 protest for relief to flood victims) reached the thana immediately after the arrest where she witnessed a brutal beating of her husband by the thana in-charge and other policemen. Seeing her, the thana in-charge told her “Let us see which DM or CM now comes to save the life of this fellow who keeps on sending petitions against us. Today we will end his game.” The police roughed her up and sent her back home. She mibilised people and again went back to thana, but was told her husband was not there.

CPI(ML) comrades immediately organised a road blockade in protest, which forced the police to hand over the mutilated body to the kith and kin. The corpse had the tongue bulging out of the mouth, and there were marks of laceration on the neck. These signs were noted by the PUCL fact-finding team that examined the body; though the inquest report fails to mention anything unnatural about the state of the corpse.

Comrade Ashok Sah told the Chief Minister in the latter’s Janta Durbar on 24 September that his life was in danger because he exposed some politicians and officers in the scam appropriating the flood relief fund and he had been implicated in fake cases of murder and rape by the local politician-police-mafia nexus. He had named the husband of local JD(U) MLA Guddi Devi (noted criminal Rajesh Kr. Chowdhury who is now in jail), and had also implicated a local corrupt politician Devendra Yadav (of the CPI(M)). In response to his appeal at the Janta Darbar, the Joint Secretary, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, sent a letter to the SP dated 25/09/07, Sitamarhi, asking him to personally conduct an enquiry and commenting that it appeared that Ashok Sah had been framed on false charges due to local politics. This was followed by a letter from the DIG to the SP dated 29/09/07 reiterating the same.

Comrade Ashok Sah was currently the District Convenor of agrarian labourers’ association AIALA and Block Secretary of CPI(ML). Ashok Sah had exposed politicians, officers, police and feudal forces involved in corruption of the area. He successfully fought the struggle to rehabilitate 256 patta-holders and stopped the eviction of Dhaangar Scheduled Caste people from their lands. He also fought against the corruption in PDS, in MLA local area development fund, and for the rights of vendors working on footpaths. He had filed a case against local politician Devendra Yadav, associated with the CPI(M), having unearthed evidence of his involvement in a scam in PDS rations. In reaction to this, it was Devendra Yadav along with MLA Guddi Devi’s husband who had framed him in June 2007 on false charges of rape.

An inquiry through Commissioner, Tirhut range and by IG, Muzaffarpur, has been ordered by the state government, owing to the immense mass pressure and widespread condemnation of this heinous killing by the police-mafia nexus. However, it is clear that any enquiry will be an eye-wash unless the thana incharge, the BDO and other accused policemen are arrested and the DM and SP of Sitamarhi are removed and action taken against them before the commencement of the inquiry.

The PUCL, Bihar, has also come up with its investigation report which holds the police as well as criminal-politician nexus responsible for this murder. The report notes that police officials had no business to arrest Ashok Sah as the fake case against him was under investigation by the IG, Muzaffarpur, and the police was supposed not to take any action till the inquiry was over. The report also notes that Ashok Sah was arrested at 12 AM (mid-night) on 4 October but the concocted case diary shows his arrest was made at 3.30 AM. Further, the dead body was returned to the family members after the post-mortem although, in case of custodial deaths, it is mandatory for the police to inform the family members of the deceased immediately.

Thousands of people held a Protest March on October 12 at the Sitamarhi district headquarters to demand immediate arrest Comrade Ashok’s killers. This march was led by AIALA National President Rameshwar Prasad and CPI(ML) CC member Meena Tiwary along with many local leaders and cadres of Sitamarhi and Darbhanga districts. A statewide protest day was also called by the Party on October 10 and demonstrations and dharnas were organised in almost all districts of Bihar on these demands. The CPI(ML) will also protest before the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on October 24. 