Bihar Home Guard jawan fires indiscriminately, gets killed by cops

A 52-year-old Home Guardpersonnel was shot dead in a police encounter after heindiscriminately fired many rounds in a fit of mentaldistress, leading to an initial impression that it was anaxal attack, a senior official said on Tuesday.Manavendra Singh Dhillon, Superintendent of Police,Munger, said the incident took place at an outpost inBariarpur police station area, where sounds of gunshots wereheard past midnight on Monday.We were told by the police station concerned that asuspected naxal attack has taken place and gunshots were beingfired in the thick of the dark.

A 52-year-old Home Guardpersonnel was shot dead in a police encounter after heindiscriminately fired many rounds in a fit of ''mentaldistress'', leading to an initial impression that it was anaxal attack, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Manavendra Singh Dhillon, Superintendent of Police,Munger, said the incident took place at an outpost inBariarpur police station area, where sounds of gunshots wereheard past midnight on Monday.

''We were told by the police station concerned that asuspected naxal attack has taken place and gunshots were beingfired in the thick of the dark. We rushed, with a heavycontingent, to the site of incident which is surrounded bydense forests and vulnerable to Maoists' strikes,'' he said.

''Retaliatory fire began from our side. In course oftime, we learnt that it was Home Guard jawan Mohd Zahid whowas firing the shots. Those who knew him well said he had beenin mental distress for some time,'' the SP added.

The fusillade stopped after firing from the other sideended. Zahid's bullet-riddled body was found lying in a poolof blood inside an open roof lavatory close to the outpostfrom where he had been firing in the air, said Dhillon.

The body was sent for post-mortem and furtherinvestigations were underway, he added.

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