Muzzafarpur hit-and-run case: BJP leader surrenders; top 10 developments

The accused, Manoj Baitha, has been shifted to Patna Medical College for treatment of injuries he suffered in the incident

Manoj Baitha, the accused in the Muzzafarpur hit and run case in which 9 school children were killed, surrendered on Wednesday. The former BJP leader has been shifted to Patna Medical College for treatment of the injuries he suffered in the incident, news agency ANI said in a tweet. 

He has, however, denied any involvement in the incident. 

The accident took place on Saturday near Dharampur school on National Highway-77 in Bihar's Muzzafarpur when a Bolero jeep hit the children while they were crossing the road. Angry parents and residents of the area staged a protest demanding the arrest of the accused.

Opposition parties had also demanded strict action and accused the ruling NDA of shielding the BJP leader. BJP suspended the leader from the party for 6 years after an FIR was registered against him.

Meanwhile, the father of the accused has denied the involvement of his son in the incident. 

Here are top 10 developments in the incident: 

1. Accused Manoj Baitha surrenders: Suspended BJP leader Manoj Baitha has surrendered to the police and has been shifted to Patna Medical College for treatment of injuries he suffered in the incident, ANI said in a tweet.

2. Nitish Kumar not to celebrate Holi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided not be celebrating Holi, in the wake of the death of nine children and Janata Dal (United) leader Manibhushan Nishad in the Muzaffarpur hit-and-run case. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also cancelled a Holi meet on March 1. "Sri Ravi Shankar Prasad has expressed his condolences, and in this sorrowful time, cancelled the Holi meet scheduled on March 1," an official statement released on behalf of the Union Law Minister read. 

3. Father of the accused denies his son's involvement: The father of Manoj Baitha on Tuesday denied the involvement of his son in the Muzaffarpur hit-and-run case. He claimed the vehicle was being driven by their driver during the incident.

"While I was busy working in the fields, our driver took the car without intimating me. I have no idea where he took the car and for what purpose. We have never asked the driver where he takes the car," he said.

4. Bihar Assembly adjourned: Bihar Assembly witnessed adjournments on Tuesday following ruckus over the incident. As soon as the House assembled in the morning, on the second day of the Budget session, an adjournment motion over the hit-and-run case was moved by RJD MLAs Samir Kumar Mahaseth, Sweety Hembrom, Ejya Yadav and Shakti Singh Yadav, PTI reported. 

Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary, however, rejected the motion. Following the rejection of the motion, RJD MLAs resorted to shouting slogans against the Nitish Kumar government, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House till 2 pm.

5. Opposition flays NDA government: Opposition parties in Bihar questioned the delay in the arrest of Manoj Baitha and alleged that the state government was shielding its leader. "The identity of the accused is now known as the police have registered an FIR against a named person. Yet, no arrest has been made. We suspect he has been asked by his political bosses to hide for some time so that no trace of alcohol is found in his blood during investigation," Yadav said.

6. Drunk driver in the dry state? Opposition parties have alleged that Baitha was drunk and driving when the incident took place and called the 'dry state of Bihar' a farce. "Prohibition in Bihar is a farce and the ghastly incident of Muzaffarpur, where a drunk BJP leader crushed nine children to death and left more than 20 others injured, proves our point," Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Tejashwi Yadav told reporters.

7. Rahul Gandhi attacks Nitish: Congress President Rahul Gandhi also accused Nitish Kumar of shielding the accused. He tweeted: "A drunken BJP leader killed nine innocent children in Bihar where liquor is banned! Nitish ji, is it realty of your liquor ban? Your conscience is shielding whom -- accused BJP leader, or reality of Bihar's liquor ban?"

8. FIR registered: Two days after the incident, Bihar police registered an FIR against the Baitha on basis of a complaint registered at Meenapur police station in Muzaffarpur. "We have registered an FIR against Baitha on Sunday on the basis of a complaint by Mohd Ansari of Dharampur village, who lost five grandchildren in the tragedy on Saturday," Station House Officer of Meenapur police station Sona Prasad Singh said.

9. BJP suspends Baitha: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday suspended Manoj Baitha from party's membership for six years for his involvement in the incident. The same day, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Modi had said strict action would be taken against all the accused.
 

10. Villagers protest: Shocked villagers staged a protest by blocking the National Highway to demand Baitha's arrest.