School director's death sparks off protest in Bihar

Residents of <g data-gr-id="16">Hilsa</g> in Nalanda district on Monday staged a protest, a day after  a school director was killed in a mob violence. The protesters blocked roads, shut shops and pelted stones at vehicles of the district magistrate and superintendent of police.

The police said as soon as the body of Devendra Prasad, director of Devendra Public School – who succumbed to injuries after being lynched by a mob on Sunday, following the death of two students – reached his residence at <g data-gr-id="23">Hilsa</g> Bazar in the morning, protesters forced the closure of <g data-gr-id="24">Hilsa</g> Bazar and blocked the <g data-gr-id="25">Hilsa</g>-Daniayawan road. The protesters were demanding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who hails from Nalanda, District Magistrate K Kartikeya and SP Sidharth Mohan Jain to come to the area and address their demands, police said.

On being informed by the local authorities, the DM and the SP reached <g data-gr-id="17">Hilsa</g> Bazar and tried to pacify the protesters, but the crowd paid no heed to their assurance. The protesters pelted stones at half-a-dozen vehicles, including that of the two district officials, after which the police took to <g data-gr-id="18">lathicharge</g> to disperse the crowd.

Meanwhile, the SP has promised strict action against those responsible for the school director's death.  SHO of Nalanda police station Sunil Kumar has been suspended on <g data-gr-id="15">charge</g> of dereliction of duty, the SP said.