Janata Dal United (JDU) MLA Bima Bharti's husband Awadhesh Mandal, who was forcibly freed by a mob of supporters from a lockup, has been arrested again. Mandal has reportedly been arrested in Bhagalpur.
Mandal was freed forcibly from a police station, hours after he got arrested on charges of threatening a witness in a murder case.
Soon after Mandal's arrest, his supporters, who reportedly belong to the JDU, stormed the police station and tried to force the station in-charge to file a counter-FIR.
The mob then diverted the officer's attention and freed Mandal from the lockup.
Police have suspended the officer in-charge of the Maranga Station from where Mandal escaped. A showcasue notice has also been issued to the station officer for 'laxity' in security.
Mandal already faces several criminal charges, including murder.
Reacting to the incident, a senior police officer said, "There were complaints lodged in the Maranga station against Awadhesh Mandal. The police should have been careful, don't know how his supporters were able to take him out of the jail."
Eyewitnesses said the escape took place when the legislator, along with Purnea MP Santosh Kushwaha, was in the police station and hundreds of supporters of Mandal surrounded the police station to help him flee.
Asked to comment on the presence of MLA and MP at the time of the escape, the SSP said it would be probed.
Sub Divisional Police Officer of Banmakhi, Kundan Kumar, would probe the escape, the SSP said.
Criticising the state government in connection with the incident, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi asked whether the "attack on a police station by supporters of husband of a JDU MLA was not a case of free run to criminals".
Former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi assailed Kumar over the incident and said his "claim of tightening law and order is dishonesty."
(With PTI Inputs)
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