17 men arrested for burning a farmer alive

PATNA - A locally influential man and his sixteen henchmen, who allegedly burnt alive an upper caste farmer in Bihar’s Kaimur district have been arrested, police said Thursday.

Subhas Ram, the main accused and sixteen others were arrested after they allegedly burnt alive Bhanu Dubey at Sapanautia village in Kaimur district Wednesday.

Ram, who also happens to be the husband of the village body head and is known for his muscle power, along with his henchmen burnt alive Dubey Wednesday afternoon in the presence of hundreds of villagers.

“Dubey, 32, was tied to a cot and was set on fire after kerosene was poured on him in broad day light in the presence of villagers, who did not dare save him,” a police official said.

According to police sources, Dubey was busy working in his field when Ram, along with his armed men, came in a jeep and three motorcycles and caught him.

Kaimur Superintendent of Police P.K. Srivastava said that Dubey had filed a case to remove encroachment on the approach road to the village.