Patna police rampage: Police officials try to lynch Muslim DSP, role of liquor mafia suspected

More than 300 trainee officials, including a large number of women, at the Patna Police Lines ransacked police officers’ quarters after their fellow member lost her life "due to sheer negligence and inhuman authoritarian stance of her seniors", the protesters said.

They complained that they were exploited in the name of duty for hours without even being provided basic facilities. “We do duty without food, water and toilet facility. It is impossible to get leave for genuine reasons,” they said.

The enraged police officials first attacked the Muslim DSP Mohammed Maslehuddin and thrashed him brutally even when he said that the deceased constable belonged to the traffic police department which was not under his jurisdiction. Then they entered his house and assaulted his wife and daughter who have also received serious injuries. The trainee police officials vandalised the house and damaged government vehicle and private vehicles parked outside the house.

At present, the DSP and his family are undergoing medical treatment.

The family has alleged that these people attacked them under a conspiracy. Because Mohammed Maslehuddin is the DSP of the police line. He has nothing to do with the traffic. The traffic police are entirely a separate department. The family of the DSP and the DSP himself has alleged that during the assault the mob of police officials were using cuss words derogatory to his religion. It can be clearly seen in the video the kind of disparaging language the frenzied police officials were using while they were thrashing him.

Meanwhile, there is a talk of a well thought out conspiracy behind this incident. It is being said that the liquor mafia was very active under the patronage of the Police Association leaders around the Patna Police Line. Exposing the sale of liquor inside the police line, DSP Maslehuddin had taken action against them and arrested many people connected to the mafia. DSP Maslehuddin had warned the liquor mafia directly that within the police line, this will not be tolerated and no one connected to the illegal sale and production of the liquor will be spared.

According to sources, due to the strict action by DSP Maslehuddin, some members of the liquor mafia and the police officials who protected them were displeased with him. On Friday, November 2, they tried to kill DSP Maslehuddin on the pretext of the death of a woman traffic police official’s death.

DSP Mohammed Maslehuddin has a reputation of being an honest and strict officer. In the past he has also been honoured with the President Medal by the then President APJ Abdul Kalam. Earlier, he was deputed in the STF (Special Task Force) too.

Meanwhile, the government has ordered an enquiry into the matter. The state government has asked Patna Zonal IG to submit the report of the enquiry. Four FIRs have been registered against 100 police trainees and hundreds of anonymous people. The entire battalion of one thousand police trainees in question have been sent back to Constable Training School Nath Nagar, Bhagalpur.