- Jyoti Manjhi, MLA from Barachatti, has claimed that she was attacked during campaigning
- The police said they have found no evidence of an attack after the initial inquiry. An SIT has been formed
- Manjhi was also examined at a hospital but no injuries were detected, the police have said
Jyoti Manjhi, the sitting MLA from Barachatti Assembly constituency and a candidate of Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha, was allegedly attacked by unknown men during the election campaign. The police, though, after a preliminary inquiry, said there is no evidence of such an attack. A Special Investigation Team will be formed to look into the issue, the police said.
The attack reportedly occurred while Jyoti Manjhi was touring the area with her supporters. The candidate has claimed that stones were thrown at her convoy, one of which struck her. She was immediately admitted to a local hospital, where she is undergoing treatment, her party has claimed.
Receiving information about the incident, the police arrived at the spot - near the flyover near Shobh Bazaar -- and began investigating the matter.
BJP leaders have strongly condemned the alleged attack and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. Manjhi's supporters, meanwhile, are angry over the attack, which took place on the eve of the first phase of election. Barachatti goes to polls in the second phase on November 11.
The police later said they had questioned six people who were on the spot and no one had seen the attack or which direction the stone came from. There was no report of any injury to any other person or damage to any vehicle in the alleged incident.
In a statement , the police said the MLA was taken to the Primary Health Center, Barachatti, "where she expressed her desire to be treated at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College Hospital, Gaya".
"Following this, an examination was conducted at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College Hospital, Gaya, and no injuries were found. The Honorable MLA was also x-rayed, and the x-ray report did not reveal any injury. Therefore, a Special Investigation Team has been formed to investigate the matter," the statement read.
Jyoti Manjhi is also a relative of Jitan Ram Manjhi, her daughter is married to his son.
HAM has been allotted six seats by the NDA. The party has fielded Deepa Kumari from Imamganj, Anil Kumar from Tikari, Jyoti Manjhi from Barachatti, Romit Kumar from Atri, Prafull Kumar Manjhi from Sikandra, and Lalan Ram from Kutumba.
Four of them -- including Jitan Ram Manjhi's daughter-in-law Deepa Manjhi and her mother Jyoti Manjhi -- are sitting MLAs from Imamganj and Barachatti.
The NDA has allocated 101 oof Bihar's 243 seats each to the BJP and JDU, while the remaining 41 seats are distributed among smaller allies - 29 to Chirag Paswan's LJP Ram Vilas, six to HAM, and six to Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
