Bihar tourism minister Narayan Prasad's son Bablu allegedly opened fire in the air apparently to disperse children playing cricket in a farm owned by the minister. A man was injured with the butt of Bablu's gun in Hardiya Koritola village in Bettiah in the state's West Champaran district.
As per information, as many as 10 children were injured in a stampede, which ensued after the minister's son allegedly fired into the air. "Kids were playing cricket here, four to five men came in a vehicle and started beating them up. Narayan's son was among the people who were beating up the children. He also hit a man with the butt of a gun and opened fire," claims an eyewitness Vijay Kumar.
As per witnesses, Minister Narayan's son fired in the air, triggering a stampede. Half a dozen people including a child have been injured in the incident. The villagers also took control of the alleged government vehicle used by the minister's son. The witnesses claimed that people who accompanied Bablu broke a villager's head.
Following the incident, Bablu, the minister's son fled from the spot. People gathered there broke the nameplate of the vehicle, which had the minister's name written on it. The police reached the spot and seized the weapon allegedly used by the minister's son for firing.
According to witnesses, Janardhan Prasad's father Lalbabu Prasad, a resident of Hardiya, has been injured in the firing and is nursing bullet wounds at the Bettiah government medical college and hospital.
Minister Narayan Prasad said that all the accusations against his son were baseless and it was a political conspiracy meant to defame him and his son.
"There was no firing from my son's side. The car that has been found is my own car and it's on loan. The BJP or government has got nothing to do with the car", said the tourism minister. He also claimed that his son was the one who was attacked.
(With ANI inputs)