Bihar: FIR against protesting Home Guards after patient's death

An FIR was lodged on Thursday against 18 Home Guards and 150 unidentified people following the death of a patient who was stuck in traffic for hours due to "chakka jam" on Gandhi Setu bridge here, police said.

"An FIR was registered on Thursday against 18 Home Guard personnel and 150 unidentified people who were protesting to ensure chakka jam," a district police official in Hajipur said.

Police said "chakka jam" (traffic blockade) called by the protesting Home Guards crippled vehicular movement on Wednesday noon and claimed the life of the patient.

The patient, Mohd Naseem, died in an ambulance while being taken to a hospital in Patna from Siwan district, police said.

The state government has warned the Home Guards of strict action if they were found involved in violence and damage to public property.

Thousands of protesting Home Guards in Bihar forcibly halted dozens of trains and blocked major roads on Wednesday to protest the state government's failure to fulfil their demands.

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesting Home Guards have been arrested on Thursday across the state as part of their "jail bharo andolan".

The Home Guards personnel are demanding increase in pay, accidental coverage during duty and post-retirement benefits from the Bihar government.

The Home Guards have been petitioning the state government for the past several years for the fulfilment of their demands.

According to state home department officials, the Home Guards are deployed for traffic regulation in banks, jail and police stations.