History-sheeter dumps pistol in Ganga, vows to quit crime

Patna: A criminal from Bhagalpur district, shaken by the rising frequency of police encounters, immersed his firearm into the flowing Ganga after offering prayers to the deities and taking a vow to reform himself along the riverbank on Wednesday, triggering widespread reactions.The development comes amid an increase in police encounters in Bihar following Samrat Choudhary taking oath as chief minister. The criminal, Kailash Mandal, who had recently walked out of jail, faces multiple criminal charges including murder, extortion and loot.In a video that has gone viral on social media, Mandal is seen sitting on the bank of the Ganga and offering prayers to the deities with a priest assisting him.

Sporting large sandalwood marks on his forehead, he is then seen holding a pistol, chanting Vedic mantras and taking a pledge not to take up arms in future.“From now on, I won’t pick up arms in hand in future and will thoroughly rely on God,” Mandal says loudly before throwing his firearm into the Ganga. “Now, I will never return to the path of crime and will lead a normal life,” he repeats further.However, his act drew strong reactions from the JD(U) and the BJP.

“We request the masses not to invite criminals at social functions and boycott them. Things will change if they start socially boycotting them,” BJP minister for revenue and land reforms Dilip Kumar Jaiswal told reporters on Thursday.“Just throwing arms in Ganga is not enough. He will have to surrender and face the law of the land,” JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said. He added that people have begun to feel the power of law.The state has witnessed seven encounters since Samrat Choudhary took over as chief minister of Bihar last month. Of these, two criminals were shot dead in police encounters while the rest were shot in the legs and are currently undergoing treatment in hospital.