Brahmeshwar Singh
Leader of upper caste militia in India
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Brahmeshwar Singh (13 March 1947 – 1 June 2012), also known as Brahmeshwar Mukhiya, was the founder of a militia functioning as an upper-caste landlord group, Ranvir Sena, in Bihar, India. On 1 June 2012, he was assassinated by unidentified gunmen.[3][4][5]
13 March 1947
Ranvir Sena, arrest, and acquittal
Brahmeshwar Singh was born in a Bhumihar Brahmin family and later on became the leader of the Ranvir Sena soon after it was formed in 1994.[1] Singh was suspected of involvement in the killings of hundreds of Naxalites who recruited people from poor and Dalit backgrounds.[6][1] In 2002, Singh was arrested on "carnage" charges, for which he faced the possibility of life imprisonment.[1] He spent nine years in jail awaiting trial and was released on bail and then later acquitted for insufficient evidence.[1]
Politics
On 5 May 2012, Singh founded the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtravadi Kisan Sangathan, an organization that Singh said would assist farmers and other manual labourers.[7]
Death
On 1 June 2012, Brahmeshwar Singh was on a morning walk near his home in Arrah, Bihar. Reportedly, around six armed men shot Singh several times. The assassination resulted in public unrest and severe rioting. Several thousand people burnt the circuit house, Block Development Officer's office, and several government vehicles; damaged railway offices; and stopped the trains on the Howrah-Delhi route.[4]