Patna, Nov 14 (IANS): Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilash (LJPR) President Chirag Paswan on Tuesday asked the Bihar Chief Minister whether the sand mafia are flourishing under your protection in the state.

“The sand mafias are doing Tandava in Bihar and hence questions arise here on your (Nitish Kumar) leadership whether it is happening in your protection? If not, then why have solid steps not been taken here?

“Due to rampant mining in the rivers, people are drowning due to uneven surface sometimes and sometimes sand mafias are mowing down security forces. It is necessary to take solid steps to save the lives of Bihari people,” Paswan wrote on X.

He said that the deceased sub-inspector, Prabhat Ranjan, was killed and a home guard Jawan was critically injured in Garhi area of the district. “It comes under my constituency. I pay respect to the soil of the slain sub-inspector and my condolence message to his family members. I also pray to God for speedy recovery of the injured home guard,” Paswan said.

SI Prabhat Ranjan and home guard Rajesh Kumar Saw were deployed at Garhi police station in the district. They had signaled a speeding tractor -- laden with sand -- to stop however the driver mowed them down.

Prabhat died on the spot while Saw was critically injured. After committing the crime, the tractor driver fled from the spot leaving the tractor abandoned some distance away from the crime scene.

The incident happened in the border area of Jamui and Nawada.