Bihar Sharif Violence Mastermind Surrendered, 'Well-Planned' Conspiracy Hatched Through WhatsApp: Police

Bihar Police claimed on Sunday that the violence during Bihar Sharif's Ram Navami procession appeared to be well-planned. Prior to the festival, a WhatsApp group of 457 people was active.

Prior to the Ram Navami festivities, a WhatsApp group of 457 people was active to carry out violence, says Bihar Police.

Source : ANI

Bihar Police said on Sunday that the violence during Bihar Sharif's Ram Navami procession appeared to be well-planned. Prior to the festival, a WhatsApp group of 457 people was active. In this case, a plot was created through texts about Ram Navami, and a person named Kundan Kumar, the convenor of Bajrang Dal, has surrendered as the mastermind of this social media. A separate FIR has been filed for this, and the Economic Offenses Research Team is looking into it, ANI reported. 

Kundan Kumar, the convenor of Bajrang Dal has surrendered as the mastermind of this social media. Apart from this, a total of 15 FIRs have been registered in Bihar Sharif, in which a total of 140 arrests have been made: Jitendra Singh Gawar, ADG, Headquarters pic.twitter.com/nQp17LEJ1q

— ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023

Five more people were arrested as part of the investigation. The EOU is also conducting a separate investigation to apprehend those who were disseminating fraudulent films and messages on various social media platforms amid communal disturbances in Nalanda and Sasaram, he said, adding that the EOU registered its first FIR against 15 persons on April 8. All five arrested people have been charged.

"EOU investigations revealed that the accused created a WhatsApp group and used it to spread hatred among people against different communities." The accused were also encouraging others to circulate phoney video messages disparaging various communities. The EOU has also recovered five mobile phones from their possession, which are being investigated further," said JS Gangwar, Additional Director General (ADG) of Bihar Police (Headquarters), as quoted by PTI.

"Investigators are looking into the credentials of everyone in this group." More arrests are expected in the following days, according to the ADG.

Normalcy has already been restored in both towns of Nalanda and Sasaram, he added, adding that officials are also checking CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators. Furthermore, authorities are keeping a tight eye on social media to prevent rumor-mongering, he added.

"Bihar Police have so far registered a total of 20 FIRs, including the most recent case filed by the EOU, to investigate communal clashes in Nalanda and Sasaram...and more than 200 people have already been arrested," the ADG stated.

Fearing attachment of their property, people accused of communal violence have begun surrendering to the police, PTI reported citing another top officer of the Bihar Police who spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

During Ramnavami celebrations, communal tensions erupted in Sasaram and Nalanda. Miscreants stoned and fired at nearly a dozen persons in Biharsharif, and roughly ten shops were destroyed. Following the violence, one person was killed.