The son, relatives and henchmen of a Bihar minister beat up children playing in an orchard belonging to the BJP politician in a West Champaran village and later assaulted older residents and opened fire, eyewitnesses alleged.

Local police confirmed that the group led by tourism minister Narayan Prasad’s son Niraj Kumar aka Bablu carried guns and had beaten up children and adults at Hardia Phulwari village. They did not confirm the allegation of firing.

None received bullet injuries but at least three villagers, including a woman, suffered head wounds caused by blunt weapons. The villagers claimed to have snatched two firearms during a scuffle.

The group of about 10 people — who allegedly included the minister’s brother Harendra Prasad, nephew Omprakash Kumar and brother-in-law Vijay Prasad — fled in two of the three vehicles in which they had arrived at the orchard, leaving one behind, villagers said.

Ugranath Jha, station house officer of the local Mufassil police station, told The Telegraph the seized weapons were a 7.56mm pistol and a .315 bore rifle but would not say when an FIR would be registered -- and against whom.

A police official unloads the pistol snatched by the villagers from Kumar. Sanjay Choudhary

Calls by this newspaper to senior police officers in West Champaran, including superintendent of police Upendra Nath Verma, remained unanswered.

The three vehicles had arrived at the orchard around noon from the minister’s home in Kathaiya Bishunpurwa, 2km away.

“Around 25 children were playing. Suddenly around 10 people, including the minister’s son and other family members, came and started abusing, slapping and punching them,” Sarika Kumari, a villager, told reporters.

“They attacked us when we rushed to stop them. They thrashed my brother Janardan Kumar with a bamboo stick and cracked his skull. They beat my mother too.”

Several villagers were taken to hospital or to doctors’ chambers. Sarika said she too had suffered minor injuries.

She named Niraj --- said to be vice-president of the BJP farmers’ cell in the district --- as well as Harendra and Omprakash.

“The group fired when many more villagers arrived, and then sped away across the agricultural fields as the villagers threw stones. We have seized a vehicle and two firearms,” Sarika said.

The minister blamed the villagers. “The land belongs to my family. My father got it around 50 years ago. But some local musclemen are trying to grab it taking advantage of our infrequent visits in recent times,” he said.

“When my son and a few others went there, they were assaulted. The people snatched the rifle and pistol from my son and his companions. The vehicle (left behind) has been damaged.”

SHO Jha told this newspaper: “The minister’s son and other family members beat the local children playing at the orchard. They also assaulted and injured (adult) villagers when they tried to stop them. According to information we have received, one person has suffered head injuries.”

He added: “The group escaped leaving a vehicle and two firearms – a 7.56mm pistol and a .315 bore rife. We have seized them. Investigations are on and the process of

registering an FIR is under way.”

Jha would not explain the delay in lodging an FIR, or say whether it would be registered against the villagers or the minister’s family members. “We’ll let you know when the FIR is registered,” he said.

Villagers expressed suspicion that the police would brush the matter under the carpet.

A police team has been deployed in Hardia Phulwari.