Patna,(BiharTimes): Lawyers associated with the Muzaffarpur District Bar Association went on an indefinite strike from Monday to protest the murder of Ram Kumar Thakur, an advocate-cum-RTI activist on Saturday evening. He was shot dead in Purshottampur village under Maniari police station while returning to Ratnoli village from the district court. 

The Association president Shiv Mohan and general secretary Sachidanand Singh have sought immediate arrest of the criminals.

Muzaffarpur Bar Association also decided that no lawyer of Muzaffarpur will plead the case of the accused persons. The Association demanded government job for one of the dependents of the deceased and a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the bereaved family.

The Association has demanded a probe by city deputy superintendent of police Upendra Prasad. 

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajesh Kumar the station house officer of Maniari police station, Mohammad Safir Alam, has been suspended in this connection. In the FIR lodged by the relatives he has been accused of hobnobbing with the alleged killer. The police would also probe the SHO’s role and lapses on his part.

The SSP also said that the named accused in the FIR, mukhiya Raj Kumar Sahni, was locked in a dispute with the 48-year-old lawyer.

Rajesh Kumar said that an FIR had been lodged against Raj Kumar Sahni, Bramhanand Sahni, Mahesh Sahni, Rajesh Sahni, Sukhdev Sahni and others on the statement of Pankaj Thakur, son of the deceased. The post-mortem report has confirmed that two bullets, fired from a pistol and found in the lower abdomen of the deceased, caused the death. 

However, no one has yet been arrested.

Only sometimes back Thakur had filed a complaint with the vigilance department against the mukhiya in connection with alleged corruption in MNREGA.

Meanwhile, noted RTI activist, Mahendra Yadav, who rushed to Muzaffarpur, while talking to BiharTimes, said Thakur had been fighting against rampant corruption in panchayat for last several years. He was attacked four times in the past but the police did nothing.