In response to the recent rise in attacks against the Musahar community in Gaya district, a team of Members of the Bihar Legislative Assembly from the CPIML, led by CPIML MLAs Ramabali Singh Yadav and Shivprakash Ranjan, visited in Dehma Tola Pathra, where a Mahadalit Rajkumar Manjhi was brutally murdered by criminals on September 14, 2024.
50-year-old Rajkumar Manjhi and others were talking in a community workshed on the early morning of September 14, when feudal-criminal goons arrived and began insulting a Mahadalit woman. When Manjhi intervened, a violent confrontation ensued. The attackers assaulted Manjhi with sticks, leading to his death.
After the incident, the local police personnel pressured the victim's family to accept a small monetary settlement and bury the body in the village. The community refused and reported the case to Mohanpur police station. When the police tried to remove the body without taking statements from witnesses, prompting public protests and demands for immediate arrests and compensation. The CPIML leaders soon arrived at the site and demanded the local administration to arrest the perpetrators and ensure compensation.
The team noted that this murder highlights a disturbing trend of increased violence against the Musahar community and points towards emboldened criminal-feudal gangs under the JDU-BJP regime. Earlier, another case of brutal assault was reported from the area where a member of the Manjhi community in Tikari was attacked and his hand was severed by local landlords. In Khizarsarai block, a Manjhi community member was beaten when he demanded unpaid wages.
The CPIML demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrators responsible for Rajkumar Manjhi's murder. They also called for the provision of a government job and a compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs to the victim’s family.
Other members of the CPIML team included Comrades Niranjan Kumar, District Secretary, CPIML, Ameer Tufail of INSAF Manch, Puleendra Kumar and Ravi Kumar.
The delegation raised serious concerns about the deteriorating law and order and the treatment of marginalised groups in Bihar. The case of Rajkumar Manjhi has become a symbol of the growing violence and injustice faced by the Musahar community and called for a strong and immediate response from the authorities.
