SUPAUL: Upset over the alleged ‘mysterious deaths’ of four youths on Saturday evening in Bihar’s Birpur town in Supaul district, residents gheraoed the local police station on Sunday afternoon demanding a probe into the deaths and even pelted stones to protest the incident, police said.
While family members of the four youths have alleged their kin were murdered, police have ruled out any foul play claiming that the deceased died during a road accident.
According to police, the deceased has been identified as Ravi Karki, Ritik Kumar, Rohit Thapa, and Rohit Thakur all between 20 and 22 years of age.
According to people aware of the development, the Birpur market was shut to protest the incident on Sunday while angry people blocked the Birpur- Supaul road near Gol Chowk.
Supaul superintendent of police (SP) D Amarkesh said that the four died in an accident and there was no foul play. “It was an accident and the autopsy of all four bodies has been conducted. 14 people have been arrested in connection with today’s stone pelting incident at the Birpur police station,” the SP said and appealed to locals not to indulge in violence.
However, locals and family members of the deceased maintained that the four did not die in an accident.
“We want a thorough probe into the whole incident. My brother was killed along with three of his friends and the whole incident is being given a colour of an accident,” said the brother of one of the deceased.
Family members of the deceased alleged the police conducted the autopsy without informing them and also accused the police of trying to hush up the matter.
Birpur police officials maintained that the four youths died after being mowed down by a car. “Police took all of them to local primary health care where doctors declared them dead,” said assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI), Birpur police station, Jyoti Kumari.
The ASI said police are trying to seize the car involved in the accident on basis of eyewitness accounts. ”Eyewitnesses said that the four were standing on the road when a speeding car mowed them down,” police said.