Criminal Sparks “Thief-Thief” Chaos, Mob Attacks Bihar STF Team at Midnight, Seizes Weapons

Gaya, Bihar: In a shocking display of lawlessness, a Special Task Force (STF) team in Gaya faced a violent mob attack while attempting to apprehend a murder accused. Using a ruse of shouting “Thief! Thief!”, over 60 villagers assaulted the officers with stones and sticks, leaving several personnel injured and forcibly seizing their firearms.

Midnight Chaos Unleashed
The incident unfolded late Sunday night in Khiryama village under the Magadh Medical Police Station jurisdiction. The STF team had arrived to arrest notorious fugitive Sanjay Manjhi in connection with a murder case. As soon as the team approached the suspect’s house, Manjhi started shouting “Thief! Thief!” from inside, creating panic and confusion. Responding to the commotion, a large group of villagers suddenly descended on the STF officers, attacking them from all sides with sticks, stones, and other weapons, exploiting the cover of darkness.

Six Officers Injured, Weapons Seized
The sudden onslaught left six STF personnel, including Manikant Dubey, Santosh Choubey, and Neeraj Kumar Pandit, seriously injured. They were rushed to Magadh Medical College and Hospital for urgent treatment. Amid the chaos, the mob managed to snatch official firearms from the officers, escalating the severity of the incident and posing a major challenge to law enforcement in the district. Following the attack, police launched extensive search operations and successfully recovered the stolen weapons after a strenuous effort.

Heavy Police Deployment in the Area
In the aftermath, authorities deployed additional police forces to restore order in the village, which remains tense. Seven suspects have been taken into custody for questioning, while operations to apprehend the main accused, Sanjay Manjhi, and other involved troublemakers are ongoing. The incident has raised serious concerns about law and order in the region and underscores the risks faced by police teams in executing high-stakes operations.