Bulldozers at BJP MLA Maithili Thakur’s doorstep

Darbhanga district officials continued demolishing illegal encroachments on a government road in Pokharbhinda village on Saturday, intensifying action in a dispute involving BJP MLA Maithili Thakur’s father.

A joint administrative team, including the Deputy Collector Land Reforms and Circle Officer, surveyed the Tardih block site on Friday and cleared illegal structures over two consecutive days.

Villagers earlier filed written complaints accusing Ramesh Thakur of grabbing a public pathway, private plots, sacred sites of Tiwari Baba and Radha-Krishna, and a traditional funeral ground.

Local residents Bhagwan Mishra, Gagan Kumar Mishra, Santosh Kumar Singh, Premchand Mishra, Ramday Devi, and Ramudar Mishra demanded immediate administrative intervention against the alleged land grab.

An on-site inspection and preliminary land survey confirmed that someone had erected a permanent structure directly on the government pathway, prompting officials to raze it immediately.

DCLR Ajay Kumar confirmed that authorities cleared the verified pathway encroachment and summoned other complainants to the Circle Office with relevant property documents for further legal scrutiny.

Officials clarified that the disputed temple land falls under neighbouring Madhubani district’s jurisdiction, advising residents to approach Madhubani authorities regarding those specific encroachment allegations.

Meanwhile, locals alleged the conflict began when MLA Maithili Thakur bought land for her house, taking over a historic cremation ground traditionally known as Baba Dihwar.

Residents claimed she built an access road through the sacred site, removed existing boundary markers, and dug up an ancestral memorial to pave her private route.

Authorities stated they will examine remaining land records and take strict follow-up action once complainants submit their ownership documents at the local Circle Office.