Protest in Bihar over lynching of school director

A day after the director of a private residential school in Bihar's Nalanda district was lynched by villagers, hundreds of angry protestors on Monday blocked traffic and demanded action against those involved, police said.

Devender Prasad, director of the Devender Prasad Sinha School in Nirpur, about 100 km from Patna, was beaten to death by angry villagers on Sunday after the bodies of two missing students, residents of the school hostel, were found in a pond nearby.

The villagers blamed the school authorities for their death.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem report revealed that the two students died after they drowned in the pool and were not beaten as no injuries were found on their bodies.

In view of the angry protest, the state government suspended the officer in-charge of Nalanda police station, Sunil Kumar Nirjhar, on Monday for negligence of duty.

At least ten culprits were also identified through video footage, police said.

Additional Director General of Police headquarters Sunil Kumar told newspersons here that Patna range Deputy Inspector General Shalin will investigate the case.

"Patna range DIG will probe into the incident and action will be taken against the culprits involved," Kumar said.

The family of the lynched director demanded a CBI probe, and private schools in Nalanda remained close on Monday in protest against the incident.

"Angry over the barbaric incident, hundreds of people, with the body of Prasad, blocked roads and railway tracks at Hilsa, in Nalanda district, demanding the arrest of culprits and action against local administration officials, including the police," said Superintendent of Police Sidharth.

Prasad hailed from Hilsa, a small town in Nalanda district.

"I have asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to recommend a CBI probe into the death of my father because my father was lynched in presence of police officials, who watched as silent spectators," Prasad's daughter Sawarnlata said.

Nalanda police chief Sanjay Kumar said a case was filed on the basis of a complaint lodged by Prasad's family and the police have begun investigation.