In arguably the most shocking evidence of brutality by the Bihar police, revealed on Saturday, a teenager hit by a bullet and lying immobile, but alive, on the ground was kicked repeatedly
and crushed under the boots of a policeman in the presence of uniformed officials, including the SP of Araria district, Ms Garima Mallik, minutes after the police had opened fire on Friday on
people protesting against land acquisition for an upcoming factory.
The teenager later died, unquestionably due to the merciless attacks after being hit by a a bullet, thus raising the number of protesters killed by police bullets at Forbesganj in Araria to four,
including a woman and a child. The boy was an ordinary citizen among hundreds who had grown angry and violent for the way the private factory’s owners and government officials had rejected their
demands for a road. As the injured teenager, whose name was yet to be ascertained, lay supine, a Bihar Home Guard jawan in khaki uniform jumped up and landed both his booted feet on the youth’s
face, crushing it underfoot, and then stepped aside to begin a series of merciless kicks to his head and body.