Villagers in Bihar protest at power sub-station over donkey’s death; FIR against 55 people

The Electricity Department lodged the FIR against protesting villagers for disrupting power supply in the area for over two hours causing a loss of ₹1,46,429 to the electricity supply company

The famous satirical novel of Hindi writer Krishan Chander “Ek Gadhe ki Atmakatha (An autobiography of a donkey)” played out in real life in Rampur village in Bihar’s Buxar district when villagers sat on a dharna at the main gate of Kesath power station on Friday after a donkey owned by one Dadan Rajak was electrocuted. The Electricity Department lodged the FIR against protesting villagers for disrupting power supply in the area for over two hours causing a loss of ₹1,46,429 to the electricity supply company.

The incident occurred on the evening of September 11 when four donkeys, owned by one Rajak and used for transporting bricks from kilns to construction sites, were returning home. They inadvertently came in contact with an electric pole. Three sustained shocks and one of the donkeys died, the villages alleged.

“We managed to free three of which one was injured. Two persons were also injured,” said a villager Vikas Chandra Pandey.

Demands compensation

The enraged villagers rushed to the Kesath power sub-station and sat on a dharna at the main gate, demanding compensation for the death of a donkey and action against the responsible employee.

“We protested because earlier over a dozen cattle were killed due to electrocution. We were at the substation so that such incidents would not be repeated,” said Mr. Pandey, who is involved in local village-level politics as well. The protest continued till 9 p.m.

In the scuffle between villagers and the sub-station employees, power supply in the area was disrupted for two-and-a-half hours. Later, Rakesh Kumar Dubey, a senior official from the Electricity Department in the neighbouring Dumraon block, arrived and held discussions with the villagers. The power supply was shortly restored and the protest ended.

But later, junior engineer Avnish Kumar lodged an FIR at the Vasudeva police station against five named and 50 unknown persons.

It was alleged that due to the protest by villagers, the power supply in the area was disrupted for two-and-a-half hours, incurring a loss of ₹1,46,429 to the South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd. In the FIR, the death of a donkey too was mentioned.

“What could I do except lodge a police complaint against them as the power supply was completely disrupted for over two hours on that day in the area? It caused loss to the power company,” Mr. Kumar told The Hindu. “Moreover, the persons against whom the complaint was lodged would be released on bail from the police station itself,” he added.

The five persons against whom the FIR was lodged are Vikas Chandra Pandey, Vishnu Deo Paswan, Manju Kumari, Mohd. Alamgir and Mohd. Aftab.

“After the donkey’s death, we went to lodge a complaint at the Vasudeva police station. But it was not even registered there. Now we’ll go to the police station marked for Scheduled Caste at Buxar to lodge our complaint”, stated Mr. Pandey.

Published - September 20, 2024 11:55 pm IST