SIX POLICE PERSONNEL JAILED OVER DISAPPEARANCE OF DALIT YOUTH, HC TO MONITOR THE CASE

SIX POLICE PERSONNEL JAILED OVER DISAPPEARANCE OF DALIT YOUTH, HC TO MONITOR THE CASE

5-JULY-ENG 27

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------Following the infamous Bharat Tiwari encounter case in Ara, Bihar, the disappearance of Sanoj Kumar—a Dalit youth from Bhojpur—has now raised serious questions. Acting firmly after the Patna High Court's intervention, authorities arrested two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) from the Excise Department, three Home Guard personnel, and a private driver; all have been sent to judicial custody. The investigation will now proceed under the High Court's supervision, and security has been provided to the victim's family.

Sanoj Kumar, a resident of Ganj village under the Bihiya police station area, was taken into custody by an Excise Department team on August 13, 2025. He has been missing mysteriously since then. The Excise police claim he escaped from the vehicle during a traffic jam, but facts emerging during the investigation have cast serious doubt on this claim.

Those arrested in the case include ASI Dheeraj Kumar Singh, ASI Raj Kumar, Home Guard personnel Raju Singh, Umesh Yadav, and Dharmendra Paswan, along with Vikas Singh, a private driver for the Excise Department. All were posted at the Jagdishpur Excise police station at the time. Following their court appearance, they were remanded to judicial custody. The police are also questioning another suspect. Bhojpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Raj confirmed the arrests, stating that the investigation is proceeding based on technical and scientific evidence and that continuous efforts are being made to locate Sanoj Kumar.

The Excise Department maintains that the detained individuals were being transported in a vehicle when a traffic jam occurred at the Bihiya intersection; a young man sitting in the back allegedly opened the door and escaped, taking advantage of the darkness. However, this claim has raised several questions. If the youth had indeed escaped from police custody, why was an FIR or a formal station diary entry (*Sanha*) not immediately lodged at the local police station? Furthermore, how was Sanoj's mobile phone recovered from police possession if he had allegedly escaped? This is why investigative agencies are now viewing the entire sequence of events with suspicion.

Sanoj Kumar's brother, Niranjan Kumar, stated that after his arrest, Sanoj called to say the excise police had detained him. When they spoke again a short while later, Sanoj was weeping and asked not to be called repeatedly, saying the police were beating him severely. His mobile phone was subsequently switched off, and no further contact could be established. Family members say that after an extensive search yielded no trace of Sanoj, they appealed to police officials, but no concrete action was taken. Consequently, the family approached the Patna High Court.

During the hearing, a division bench of the Patna High Court sought a response from the Bhojpur District Magistrate (DM), Superintendent of Police (SP), and other officials. The court directed that immediate security be provided to the victim's family and clarified that the top priority in this matter was locating Sanoj Kumar and uncovering the truth behind his disappearance.

During the proceedings, the SP informed the court that six of the seven suspects had been arrested. Meanwhile, citing CCTV footage, the court questioned the police's theory that the young man had escaped by opening the rear door of a closed Bolero vehicle. The court remarked that, prima facie, this claim appeared suspicious.

The Patna High Court will now personally monitor the entire case, while the supervision of the investigation has been entrusted to the Bhojpur SP. The police are actively searching for Sanoj Kumar based on technical evidence. This case has once again sparked a serious debate regarding police custody and accountability.