Bagaha, Bihar, Jun 24: Five persons were killed today as a police team, investigating a murder case, was attacked by a mob in Bihar's Bagaha police district, a senior police officer said.
A police team had gone to Katharawa village to probe a murder case of youth when a mob started pelting stones on the police team which opened fire, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) S K Bharadwaj said.
While three villagers died on the spot, two others succumbed to injuries in a hospital, the ADGP said, adding 26 others, including 25 policemen sustained injuries.
Additional policemen have been deployed in the village and surrounding areas in view of the tension prevailing in the area, he said.
The law and order situation in Katharwa village was tense but under control, Bharadwaj said.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and efforts were on to ascertain the identity of the victims, he said, adding the injured persons have been admitted to various hospitals for treatment.
Earlier in the day, a police team led by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shalesh Kumar visited Katharwa village to probe the murder of one Chandeshwar Taji, a native of neighbouring Dardari village who was murdered by unidentified persons on June 15 last, police sources said.
The villagers appeared angry with the police for delaying the investigation in the case and attacked the police team with stones and other blunt objects injuring most of them, the sources said.
The DSP-led police team retreated but on arrival of reinforcement fired on the protesters in which three protesters died on the spot and several others sustained injuries, they said.
Bagaha police district's Superintendent of Police (SP) Anil Kumar confirmed that 15 to 16 rounds were fired by the policemen on the mob.
