Kishanganj/ Patna: In a fresh attack on security forces in Bihar, five personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were taken hostage and assaulted by a mob in Belwa, Kishanganj, on Monday. The jawans, part of the SSB’s 19th Battalion intelligence team, were investigating a fake currency smuggling operation when they were overpowered by locals and criminal elements.
According to officials, the SSB team, dressed in plain clothes, was chasing suspects involved in counterfeit currency smuggling when they caught them in Belwa. However, the suspects raised an alarm, claiming they were being kidnapped. This led to a crowd gathering at the scene, which surrounded the jawans and held them hostage for nearly three hours. Despite showing their identification cards, the personnel were beaten, their pistols were snatched, and their clothes were torn. Amid the chaos, the suspected smugglers managed to escape.
Four hours later, local informants alerted the police about the attack. Sadar police station chief Abhishek Kumar Ranjan, along with SSB officers, rushed to the scene and managed to rescue the jawans after a prolonged effort. The injured personnel—Rajesh Tudu, Rajesh Sahni, Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, Ramcharan Sah, and Anjay Ram—were admitted to Sadar Hospital for treatment. Two others, with minor injuries, returned to their headquarters.
The police have launched an investigation, registering a case based on the statements of the injured jawans. Additional forces have been deployed in the area to prevent further unrest. SDPO Gautam Kumar confirmed that five SSB personnel sustained serious injuries and that efforts are underway to identify the attackers using CCTV footage. Raids are being conducted to apprehend the suspects, and two individuals have been detained for questioning.
Meanwhile, both pistols that had been snatched from the jawans have been recovered. Sources indicate that the SSB had informed Pothia police about the raid, but while chasing the suspects, they inadvertently entered the Kishanganj police station area.
