21 Houses of Dalits Torched in Bihar’s Nawada; Nitish Govt Orders Probe

Patna: Miscreants torched at least 21 houses of Dalits in Bihar’s Nawada district allegedly over a land dispute on Wednesday night.

The gutted houses were located in a Dalit settlement in the Nawada district. Initially, there were reports that over 80 houses were burnt down, but police have put the number at 21.

Police have nabbed ten persons in relation to the arson. A search has been launched to track down the other accused.

The victims alleged that the miscreants also thrashed several Dalit families and after that they set ablaze the houses. It is alleged that the attackers also fired in the air.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting with senior officials regarding the Nawada incident and directed the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) to visit the site and oversee the investigation. Bihar government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to further probe the matter. The Bihar government said strict action would be taken against the guilty and no one would be spared.