Bihar's East Champaran district saw a flurry of unrelated but equally alarming developments. Police moved against absconding murder accused and cracked a theft ring, even as armed robbers stormed a home overnight and made off with lakhs in cash and jewellery. Adding to the district's troubles, incessant rain across the border in Nepal has piled pressure onto a local embankment, raising fears of flooding in nearby villages.
Court-ordered raids target Lakshmipur's absconding accused
In a murder case registered at the Lakhaura police station, a local court had ordered action against 11 accused who have been evading arrest for a long time. All of them are residents of Lakshmipur village. Acting on the court's directive, police teams reached the homes of these accused and carried out attachment and seizure proceedings against their properties. Officers say raids are continuing at multiple locations to track down the fugitives, and arrests are expected soon.
Armed gang holds family hostage in Partapur, loots lakhs
In the Chiraiya police station area, a group of seven to eight armed miscreants broke into a house in Partapur village late at night, climbing in with the help of a ladder. Once inside, they held the entire family hostage for around 45 minutes. During the ordeal, the robbers made off with roughly 5 lakh rupees in cash along with gold and silver jewellery worth close to 25 lakh rupees, putting the total haul at around 30 lakh rupees. When one family member tried to resist, the attackers struck him with an iron rod. Before fleeing, the gang fired shots into the air and smashed the household's mobile phones in an apparent bid to destroy evidence. Police have detained one suspect and begun questioning him in connection with the robbery.
Gang buried stolen goods in the ground before selling them
Police also reported a breakthrough in a string of thefts across the Pakrahi Dayal, Madhuban, Chakia and Mufassil police station areas. The alleged mastermind, Shambhu Shah, was arrested along with his two associates, Dharmendra Shah and Ajay Kumar. Two country-made pistols, cartridges, expensive stolen vehicles, gold and silver ornaments, and copper and brass utensils were recovered from them. Investigators found that the gang would bury stolen goods underground right after a theft and only dig them up to sell once the case had gone cold. Police also said Shambhu Shah had used his share of the proceeds to build a lavish house at his in-laws' home.
Rain in Nepal pushes an embankment to breaking point
Meanwhile, continuous rainfall in Nepal is now being felt in East Champaran as well. A ring embankment built in the Lalparsa and Dhunki Tola areas of Sugauli block is coming under growing pressure. Villagers allege that the embankment was built using substandard material and sand-mixed soil, which is why it is struggling to hold up. Residents fear that if the rain intensifies further, the embankment could give way and send floodwaters into several surrounding villages. They have urged the administration to immediately inspect the embankment's quality and carry out the necessary repairs without delay.
