Mystery shrouds the death of JD(U) MLA’s son in Bihar

Mystery shrouds the death of Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) legislator Bima Bharti’s eldest son, whose body was found near the railway track on the Patna – Jhajha mainline on Friday morning. Deepak Kumar Mandal was 18 years old and had keen interest in politics.

Bharti, the JD(U) member of the legislative assembly (MLA) from Rupauli in Purnea district, alleged that her son had been murdered, after his body was discovered close to the Rajendra Nagar terminal on the eastern side of l Patna. The police are working on several angles including murder and suicide. The police are also probing an affair he had with with a Chandigarh-based girl.

Two friends of Mandal -- Hrithik and Mrityunjay -- were detained after police found evidence that the MLA’s son had gone to Mahavir Colony to meet them on Thursday evening.

“It is not suicide, it is murder. My son was killed,” a weeping Bima Bharti told journalists. She did not name anyone who could have killed him.

The Bihar legislator has had strained ties with her husband Awadesh Mandal, who is from Rupauli in Purnea district and has had 100 cases of extortion and kidnapping registered against him.

The husband, who is barred from contesting elections, has powerful friends and equally powerful enemies — the reason for speculation that the son may have been killed. He wanted his son to join politics.

Central range deputy inspector general of police, Patna, Rajesh Kumar said there were several injury marks on the body. “We will wait for the postmortem report to know more,” he said.

Deputy IGP (rail) BN Jha said that it was difficult to say whether this was a case of suicide, murder or accidental death. “Only after postmortem will the police be able to say anything on the cause of his death,” Jha added.

“We are probing all angles including the broken love affair of the MLA’s son. Friends of Deepak have been quizzed,” said a senior police office engaged in the probe. Hrithik and Mrityunjay, told the police that Deeepak had suffered heartbreak after splitting up with his girlfriend, who is a student of Chandigarh University. Meanwhile, tension gripped the MLA’s constituency of Rupauli. Many shops shut amid concerns of possible violence in the area.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has rapped the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for “repeated defiance” on issuing circular to airlines operating at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here to ensure that they do not empty toilet tanks mid-air.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel warned that if the order is not complied with by August 31, salary of the Director General of Civil Aviation would be stopped.

The panel took objection that despite its order there was neither any valid explanation nor there was compliance by the aviation regulator on the issue.

“Neither, there is any valid explanation nor there is compliance by the DGCA. It is not disputed that the order is operative and has not been stayed in any proceedings... Since there is a repeated defiance by the DGCA with absolutely no acceptable explanation, we have no option but to direct the DGCA to comply with the directions already issued on or before August 31,” the bench said. PTI

PATNA: BIMA BHARTI THE JD(U) MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FROM RUPAULI IN PURNEA DISTRICT, ALLEGED THAT HER SON HAD BEEN MURDERED NEW DELHI: