Bihar: Mob attacks police station, personnel after custodial death

A mob protesting against the custodial death of a man attacked a police station, ransacked it, set ablaze a vehicle and also beat up some police personnel in Bihar's Arwal district on Wednesday, officials said.

Soon after the news spread that a 30-year-old man, who was arrested by police on Tuesday, had died in police custody, hundreds of people from neighbouring villages surrounded the Kaler Police Station and ransacked it.

According to the police officials, the villagers alleged that the man died after he was severely beaten and tortured in custody.

"Angry villagers set a police vehicle on fire, ransacked the police station and beat up police officials," a district police officer said.

The protesters also blocked roads in Arwal -- about 75 km from the state capital -- demanding action against the police personnel responsible for the death.

Later in the day, the district administration suspended Ritu Raj, the Officer in Charge of Kaler Police Station, in a bid to pacify the protesters.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

--IANS

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