On Friday, March 10, Bihar police took to Twitter to respond to a post shared by NavBharat Times pertaining to the Jethuli Ghat shootout case. In the thread of tweets, the Bihar police had given an update on the case earlier. They had confirmed that a total of 3 people had been killed in the gunfight that ensued from an altercation between two rival factions at Jethuli village of Fatuha block on the outskirts of Patna on February 19 and 20, 2023.
The Bihar police had further confirmed that a total of 22 people were arrested in the case out of which 9 were arrested in connection with the gunfight, while thirteen people were arrested in the case of arson and attack.
जेठुली गांव में हुई गोलीबारी के मामले में अबतक कुल बाईस (22) लोगों की गिरफ्तारी हुई है ।
— Patna Police (@PatnaPolice24x7) February 21, 2023
घटनास्थल पर पर्याप्त संख्या में पुलिस बल तैनात है ।
निरंतर निगरानी रखी जा रही है ।
वर्तमान स्थिति शान्तिपूर्ण व नियंत्रण में है।
(2/2)@bihar_police @BiharHomeDept @IPRD_Bihar
The Bihar police were responding to a tweet posted by the Hindi media outlet Nav Bharat Times on Friday, wherein they shared a video of the shootout that had taken place in Jethuli Ghat last month.
अब मर्डर होगा… पुलिस वालों के सामने ही पटना में गिर गई तीन लाशें #Bihar #Patna #Jethuli pic.twitter.com/TsLluNP3a3
— NBT Bihar (@NBTBihar) March 9, 2023
In the video, one can see two factions engaging in a gunfight while some armed policemen standing in the corner watching without trying to prevent the rampant violence happening before them.
Jethuli Ghat shootout in Bihar: how it started
A fight over parking space turned deadly in Bihar’s Patna on February 19, 2023. The incident had taken place near the Jethuli Ghat area under Nadi Police Station. Jethuli is situated on the banks of the river Ganga, about 27 kilometres southeast of Patna.
Two people were shot dead and four sustained injuries in a gunfight over parking between two groups in Patna’s Jethuli village.
— OTT India (@OTTIndia1) February 20, 2023
cc: @ANI #Patna #PatnaNews #news #NewsUpdate #Today #todaynews #LatestNews #latest #ottindia #Bihar #BiharNews pic.twitter.com/hX642a0e3P
Three people were killed on the spot in the clash that occurred between two rival groups, one led by Umesh Rai and his brother Satish Kumar alias Bachcha Yadav and the other by their rival Bittu Kumar. According to police, Umesh had contested the parliamentary election in 2014 on a Samajwadi Party ticket and later joined the RJD. Bachcha Yadav’s wife Anju Devi is said to be the mukhiya (head) of Jethuli panchayat while Umesh’s wife Meena Devi is the former vice-president of the district board.
According to media reports, a fourth victim, Chenarik Rai (42), son of Rajendra Rai, had also succumbed to his injuries a week after the incident took place, taking the death toll to 4. All four victims belong to the same family. They were identified as Gautam Kumar (24), son of Pramod Rai and Roshan Kumar (18), son of Nagendra Rai.
Reportedly, an altercation erupted between two groups had resulted in violence after which one of the groups resorted to firing. Notably, the argument started when LPG cylinders being unloaded, allegedly on the road, from Bachcha Yadav’s godown, blocked the way for a tractor owned by his rival Bittu Kumar. Yadav’s elder brother Ramesh allegedly slapped the tractor driver, which led to brick batting between the two groups.
The matter escalated and Bachha Yadav called his relatives, who then opened fire on the family members and associates of Bittu Kumar. At least 50 rounds of bullets were fired.
Hours later, the family members of Bittu Kumar and an irate mob set ablaze houses, a marriage hall and at least six luxury vehicles owned by Yadav and his family members.
A day after the incident, Bittu’s father Munarik Rai, son of Rajendra Rai, also died during the treatment, following which the locals again went on a rampage on February 20 and attacked the cops. Patna district administration had also imposed Section 144 at Jethuli.
Four separate FIRs filed in the Jethuli Ghat shootout case
Patna senior SP Manavjit Singh Dhillon had then informed that a total of 4 FIRs were filed in the Jethuli violence case. Two separate FIRs had been lodged with the local River police station. In the first FIR, 14 people had been named for the murder of three persons, of which eight, including Bachcha Yadav, had been arrested. In the second FIR lodged on the basis of a police statement, 12 people have been booked for arson, loot and pelting stones at police and all have been arrested.
“Preliminary investigation suggests Bachcha Yadav has a licensed rifle. He had also hired a private guard from Punjab, who also used his licensed weapon to fire,” the SP had confirmed.
An old rivalry over land led to the clash in Bihar
According to reports, the gunfight between the two groups was a culmination of an ongoing land dispute between them. The fight between Bachcha Yadav and Bittu Kumar took place over a piece of land measuring 8000 sq feet outside the gym. Estimated at around 3 crores, the land is presently occupied by Baccha Rai.
The accused and Bittu had a political rivalry and other mutual disputes over land for a long time and both had gone to jail last year after a scuffle. A police team under Fatua SDPO is investigating the entire matter,” SP Dhillon stated.
The lawlessness in the area and the inability of the police to prevent such violent crimes in public places were highlighted by a lot of people on social media after the case.
