The man who had attacked Bihar Chief Minister (CM) Nitish Kumar on Sunday has been admitted to a hospital for psychiatric treatment, a senior police official said on Tuesday, 29 March.
"We conducted a thorough inquiry. Neither the attacker nor any of his family members have any criminal history. As per instructions, he was first examined at a community health centre, after which he is undergoing psychological profiling at the PMCH by specialists in the field," Manavjit Singh Dhillon, SSP, Patna, said.
The incident took place in Kumar's hometown of Bakhtiyarpur on Sunday. The 32-year-old man struck Kumar on his back and was immediately overpowered by the CM's security personnel. He was later arrested.
Dhillon had earlier said that the accused appeared to be specially-abled, adding that "an FIR will be lodged after proper interrogation and investigation."
More About the Incident
The attack occurred when the CM was paying his respects to a statue of Shilbhadra Yaji, a noted freedom fighter from Bihar, at a local Safar hospital complex.
The incident was caught on CCTV camera and mobile phones and went viral on social media.
In the footage, the man could be seen walking up the stairs behind Kumar – who had bent down to make a floral offering to the statue – and struck him on the back.
When the attacker was caught by security personnel, Kumar said, according to NDTV: "Do not beat him. First, find out what he is saying."
Other videos showed the man being escorted away by the police.
Later, the district administration issued a statement and informed that the attacker was a local resident. In addition, the man had reportedly attempted suicide twice, and his mental condition had caused his wife to live separately along with their children.
The administration further said that CM Kumar had ordered that "no punitive action" be taken against the man and his psychiatric rehabilitation be ensured.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tej Pratap Yadav called the incident a major security lapse.
"CM is not safe, it's a major security lapse. Anyone comes and attacks the CM. Action should be taken against DGP for not arresting the culprits," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)
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