Murder of RJD leader’s family: Police stall march to Gopalgunj

J.P. Yadav was injured and his parents and younger brother were killed when bike-borne men fired indiscriminately on the leader at his house on May 24

A large number of police personnel on Friday morning were posted at the gate of the official residence of former Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Rabri Devi to prevent the party legislators from marching to Gopalgunj to meet the family members of party leader J.P. Yadav whose parents and brother were murdered on May 24.

Earlier, Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly and younger son of Ms. Rabri Devi, met Mr. J.P. Yadav at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and announced that his party legislators would march to Gopalgunj on Friday, “if the named accused in the triple murder case who is a ruling party JD(U) MLA there is not arrested within two days”.

On May 24, unknown bike-borne men fired indiscriminately on Mr. J.P. Yadav at his residence in Hathua sub-division of Gopalgunj district. His parents and younger brother were killed while he was admitted to the PMCH with injuries.

JD(U) MLA from Kuchaikot Assembly constituency Amarendra Pandey alias Pappu Pandey, his brother Satish Pandey, nephew Mukesh Pandey and others were named in the triple murder case.

Two arrested

Later, police arrested the brother and nephew and sent them to jail but the MLA was not arrested.

On Friday, when Mr. Tejashwi Yadav, his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav and Ms. Rabri Devi along with party legislators and supporters came out from 10, Circular Road residence of Ms. Rabri Devi, a large number of police personnel stopped them, citing “lockdown guidelines”.

“We’ve got clear instruction from MHA [Ministry of Home Affairs] that no march or political meeting would be held during COVID-19 lockdown…we’re following that instruction,” said a senior police official present at the spot. “We’ll not allow their movement,” he asserted.

‘Call special Assemby session’

Meanwhile, Mr. Tejashwi Yadav demanded that if the government did not allow them to march to Gopalgunj, the Speaker of the House should call a “special session” of the Assembly and “we’d provide enough evidence to prove about the murder happened in Gopalgunj”.

“It's dictatorship by the government ….the government should tell us why the Opposition party legislators should not take out the march which I’d announced two days back,” said Mr. Tejashwi Yadav.

Ms. Rabri Devi alleged that the ruling government was trying to “gag the voice of the Opposition”.

“But, we’ll not stop…they should arrest us, but if we are not allowed to meet family members of our party leader whose parents and brother were killed in broad daylight, then what should a leader of the party do,” asked Ms. Rabri Devi.

Mr. Tej Pratap Yadav asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar why he was silent on the issue.

Meanwhile, Ms. Rabri Devi, Mr. Tejashwi Yadav and Mr. Tej Pratap Yadav were waiting in their vehicle to embark on their Gopalgunj march.