New Delhi: The mother of slain Indian Army jawan Manju Devi on Tuesday said that the martyr's father was beaten up and arrested by the police for building a memorial for his son on government land in Jandaha, Bihar's Vaishali, reported news agency ANI. "The police officials came and arrested my husband. They manhandled him and didn’t even inform us of any arrest or any legal action being taken against him. They have threatened us to remove the memorial repeatedly," said the mother of Jai Kishore quoted by ANI.
The police, on the other hand, asserted that the matter was connected to an issue of illegal encroachment, which was against the landowner's rights.
"On January 23, a case was registered under SC/ST Act over a statue being erected on the land of Hari Nath Ram & on govt land in Jandaha. Later, walls bordering the statue were built. They have not sought any permission. If they wanted, they could have made it in their own land or sought land from the government. There would not have been an issue then. The landowner's rights are being violated due to illegal encroachment," the SDPO Mahua said.
However, Jai Kishore Singh, the martyr's brother and a member of the armed forces, asserted that the police had beaten and abused his father.
"DSP ma'am visited us, asking us to remove the statue within 15 days. I said I will show her the document. Later, the police station in-charge came to our home and beat up my father before arresting him. They also abused my father. I am also in the armed forces personnel," Nand Kishore, brother of Jai Kishore Singh, said.
The locals chanted "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" in opposition to the police action.