10,000 Home Guards court arrest in Bihar, government acts tough

PATNA: Over 10,000 Home Guard personnel courted arrest across Bihar today as their indefinite strike continued for the seventh day, while the state government acted tough by registering an FIR against those who had blocked the bridge over the Ganga leading to the death of two patients.

Vaishali Superintendent of Police (SP) Chandrika Prasad said, "We have lodged an FIR at the Ganga Bridge police station against 150 Home Guards in connection with the blockade of Mahatma Gandhi Setu yesterday."

Seventeen of the accused have been named while the rest are unnamed. The police said no family member of the patients, who died in yesterday's 'chakka jam' while on their way to hospital, has come forward so far to lodge a complaint.

In today's 'jail bharo' agitation the home guards on strike squatted on the main thoroughfares in district headquarters, blocking vehicular movement. In Patna over 3,000 of them demonstrated at R-Block roundabout before 450 of them courted arrest. In rest of the districts the number of those who courted arrest varied between 150 and 550.

The agitators in several districts marched on the roads and raised slogans regarding fulfilment of their demands including post-service benefits, a hike in their daily allowances and retirement age.

Home Guard Director General (DG) P N Rai said, "Altogether 10,213 Home Guards courted arrest across the state today as part of their on going strike. So far they have not approached us for talks."

Rai added that additional men from various forces like Bihar Military Police, District Armed Police and Special Auxiliary Police have been roped in to discharge duties in place of the Home Guard personnel.