n

What happened to 26-years old Suman––gang-raped, looted and killed––and her family members on Sunday (Mar 25) night on the tri-junction of Jamui, Lakhisarai and Sheikhpura is a reflection of state of affairs in Bihar where crores were spent on its centenary celebration only last week to improve its image.

That the vehicle on which Suman, her husband and other family members were travelling from Rajgir to Jamui were waylaid and looted and she herself killed after the heinous act is no doubt a crime. But what is more serious is that it took 13-14 hours for the family members to lodge an FIR as the policemen of different police stations refused to accept it due to the dispute over the jurisdiction of crime. In fact the truth lies somewhere else. FIRs are now discouraged in Bihar to show that the number of crimes have come down. It is other thing that despite this the Bihar Police website shows over 50 percent rise in crimes in the last six years––fastest in the last couple of years.

However, the police swung into action 24 hours after the incident and have rounded up four persons on the ground of suspicion. But, it is not yet clear whether they are the actual criminals or not.

Naresh Barnwal 33, a Dhanbad-based businessman and husband of the victim, was travelling along with his child and wife’s brother, his wife and child. He was returning after visiting tourist spots in Rajgir and Nalanda on his car. They were on way to Jamui where his wife’s mausi, that is sister of the mother lives.

Police sources confirmed that they were intercepted by six to 10 armed criminals who had put up boulders on the road near Hansapur village under the Karandeh police station of Sheikhpura district. They snatched the cash, ornaments, mobile phones and other belongings of the Barnwals and pulled Suman out of the vehicle. They forced her to walk with them at gunpoint for some distance, gang-raped and shot at her before escaping.

The shocked family members took her to the Jamui sadar hospital, 50 km away, where she was declared ‘brought dead’.

Naresh, according to reports, had to visit one police station after other as the robbery took place at a spot that fell under Sheikhpura district; the gang-rape at a spot in Lakhisarai district and the death was confirmed in Jamui district.

Not only that the SPs of Sheikhpura and Lakhisarai had relinquished the charge following their transfer on Saturday. It was only after the new incumbent, Premlata, joined as Lakhisarai SP on Monday and visited the spot along with new Sheikhpura SP Anusuiya Rana Singh Sahu that the FIR was lodged at the Halsi police station in Lakhisarai.

As mentioned above the tragedy occurred to the tourists at the height of roadshows being organized by the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation in different metros of the country. The state government machinery is busy projecting a big jump in the figure of tourists by counting pilgrims as tourists. But the truth is that the incident like the one which occurred on Sunday may make the outsiders think twice––or even more than that––before planning a trip to Bihar. 

A couple of years back a Japanese tourist was raped in Bodh Gaya. However, in that case the driver of the auto-rickshaw was soon brought to the book. But here the case is more horrible as the victim had to undergo the trauma before the family members and was later killed.

The sad aspect is that the same media which, till a few years back, was busy selling the poor image of Bihar are now so much busy in improving it that it has little space to cover this incident. One of the largest circulating multi-edition Hindi daily tucked this horrifying story in Page-13, while others too grossly underplayed it.

It is other thing that they have enough space and time to highlight the Aarushi murder case, which took place way back in May 2008 about 1,000 km away in Delhi.

Comment

comments...

Time to say Sorry!!!!

Bihar times had positioned the news of murder and rape of tourist women showing no law and order in the state, now we find that there is angle of affair involved.The person reporting this news went with news without verifying the content and the source, as an editor it’s you prime responsibility to be fair and objective in your assessment and not allow Bihar times to get egg on its face.I will like to humbly say, this wrong reporting which the national media loves anything bad or ugly in Bihar to say it’s the same old place. The damage due to wrong reporting has been done and even apology wont help as we have presented a wrong picture that Bihar is unsafe for tourist. Did we see the headlines after this incident?? Road loot after Road show…we can be bit more constructive in our approach and point mistakes of govt in more matured manner as expected of a newspaper. I have seen earlier headlines of yours where you complained of govt not giving advertisement to you newspaper, just look inward why we need to be so negative and cynical all the time?? These will always be faults of the govt, but newspapers need to criticize it as constructive critic not as enemy who is to be killed. I only come to read negative news on your site( cos I get normal balanced news elsewhere), is this newspaper only for negative news?? Hope Bihar Times shares the optimism that Bihar will change!!! Unconditional apology for wrong portrayal of news, giving a local news a top headline story and not being constructive in its criticism.

Rahul Kunal

---------------------------------

Appropos Reshu Nath's joining issue with Rahul Kunal's post . Obviously Reshu is not aware of the three commandments of present day Bihar - see no evil , hear no evil , speak no evil . Judged by that standard the Bihar Times should be hanged by the nearest lamp post . And what does it think it is doing? The Telegraph pushed the news to the 7th or thirteenth page ,Hindustan was equally discreet and so was Prabhat Khabar and others . Times of India for a change soiled its copy book . It published it as a banner headline , the normally less discreet Hindustan Times also put it on its front page but it was in the bottom half.But the bloody Bihar Times is going on and on !

Bihar is full of Gandhis monkeys . That is why we celebrated Champaran and Gandhi a couple of days back .The media are the biggest apostles of Gandhi , whatever that fellow called Katju may say.

Rahul, sir I am in complete agreement with you .such minor incidents keep taking place all the time all over the place but Bihar Times which seems to be obviously biased in favour of objectivity and truth, chose to air it . And yes the ungrateful paper did not even mention that the post mortem did not disclose rape .This proves the high moral ground that Bihar has occupied . The criminals just murdered the female- they did not rape her.In fact I just fought with my best friend on this issue . He had the temerity to suggest that in a government in which Chief Secretaries tailor make their opinion to suit the requirement of the occasion where does the poor doctor stand . I agreed. In fact i felt a little ashamed . at least the doctor did not write in the post moprtem report that there is no evidence of her having died.Jay Bihar , Jay Niteesh.

Rakesh Singh

----------------------------------------------

I never till date have been able to understand the objective of your newspaper, its only to highlight negative news. This rape and killing happened which is unfortunate, you for creating hype referring to incidence 2 years back, 2 rapes in 2 years of tourist is it alarming??do you have data for similar tourist destinations in India. The rape news is reported twice  on top…this shows the editors bias clearly. In which country and state does rape looting become front page news may I know from you? except you newspaper.  If you have an agenda please come out in open don’t hide and shoot.

Don’t try to bring down law and order by referring single instances, don’t want to comment on crime rate as earlier people didn’t used to go to police station fear being looted by police itself forget FIR.

If you newspaper can’t add positively to Bihar’s development atleast desist from spreading hate and wrong image. Goa witnessed many instances of rape and drugs, did the project it as headlines as you doing??what will be the impact on tourists??

Rahul Kunal

-----------------------------------------------------

Crime against Humanity

Criminals should be caught and their heads should be chopped at Gandhi maidan of patna, so that other criminals will take lesson out of it. Anyway nitish kumar must be happy , his police is not registering case anymore, bribe is on all time high in every sector last but not the least even paper media has left  bringing crime news to their front page ,for paper media non-sense news are  more matter of concern now a days…. 

Galib Gaurav

Bangalore.

----------------------------------

The bubble of truth always bursts.  It is a matter of time.This is what the people of Bihar have learned. Independent inquiry must be carried out and culprits must be punished.

I have learned this news and am terrified with such a heinous crime. What can we expect from the law enforcing authorities? The criminals must be hunted down and justice served.

Upendra Sinha

.....................................................................

Nitish ji and Abhyand ji. now enough is enough. Nothing could be worst than this . Media management wont help you much. This whole news was blacked out in the media. Every one tra vels Bihar. Keep yourself in the position of Barnwal family -------- After gangrape and murder it takes 14 hrs to register FIR .Imagine trauma---

Ashish Sinha