Ranchi/Hazaribagh: Police have registered cases against hundreds of people following clashes during protests by job aspirants in Jharkhand. Three FIRs have been filed in Ranchi, naming 14 people and identifying nearly 200 others as unknown accused. In Hazaribagh, another FIR names 200 people and lists 500 unidentified individuals.
The cases follow Friday’s statewide protest organised by the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch. Students had gathered to press for action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and had planned to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
In Ranchi, protesters marched towards Albert Ekka Chowk. The situation turned tense after the students and JMM workers reportedly clashed. The protesters alleged that they were chased and assaulted with bamboo sticks before police intervened.
The students claimed they had earlier withdrawn their agitation after the state government promised to examine their demands. They now accuse the government of failing to honour that assurance.
Police File Three Cases
The FIRs were registered at Kotwali police station on the basis of complaints by Ankita Verma and Shahbaz, as well as a complaint filed by a magistrate, Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said.
“Three separate FIRs were registered at the Kotwali police station based on these complaints. Additionally, a magistrate also lodged an FIR regarding the sequence of events,” Rana said.
Fourteen people have been named across the three cases, while around 200 unidentified people have also been booked. The named accused include Kunal Kumar, Piyush Kumar Singh, Ravindra Paswan, Chandi Tiwari, Chittaranjan Kumar, Saurav, Virendra Pratap and Sumit Sharma.
Police have invoked provisions related to alleged obstruction of official work, breach of the procession route and confrontation with police personnel. Officials said they were examining the roles of everyone involved, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“Efforts are being made to understand the entire sequence of events by questioning people present at the scene and analysing available evidence. The police have also obtained video footage of the incident, and further action will be taken based on it,” a police official said.
BJP Questions Woman’s Detention
The BJP claimed that NGO operator Amisha Prasad was taken to Kotwali police station after participating in the protest.
Jharkhand assembly leader of opposition Babulal Marandi, Ranchi Mayor Roshni Khalkho, BJP MLA C P Singh and other party leaders went to the police station. They stayed there for approximately three hours, demanding an explanation.
“It is an example of hooliganism by Jharkhand Police. The manner in which police detained the woman clearly indicates she was tortured. The government is trying to suppress individuals’ voices. But this government should know that the more you try to suppress voices, the louder they become,” Marandi said.
Marandi also accused JMM workers and what he described as “Jharkhand government’s goons” of manhandling students during the effigy-burning procession.
“If any case was previously registered against the woman, police should have served her notice rather than detaining and bringing her to the police station after she participated in the agitation. Police are lodging cases and detaining protesters who are fighting for their legitimate rights while safeguarding the JMM workers,” he alleged.
Police denied that Prasad had been brought in over Friday’s clash.
“We brought her to the police station in connection with a case lodged against her at the Sadar police station about two months ago,” a police official said.
Hazaribagh Case Names 200
Hazaribagh also witnessed a confrontation during the protest. Students had assembled at Matwari Ground in the Matwari area, where the situation reportedly escalated between protesters, JMM workers and police.
Korra police station registered an FIR against 700 people. Of them, 200 have been named and 500 remain unidentified.
“An FIR has been filed at the Korra police station against 700 people, comprising 200 named individuals and 500 unidentified ones,” station in-charge Nemdhari Rajak said.
Police have begun investigating the incident and are taking steps in connection with the alleged clash.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch had called for demonstrations across all 24 districts on August 21. The protests followed the Jharkhand High Court’s decision to stay notifications cancelling appointments linked to several recruitment examinations.
The examinations affected by the court’s order include the 11th and 13th JPSC Combined Civil Services examinations, the Food Safety Officer examination, the JSSC Combined Graduate Level examination and the Child Development Project Officer examination.
Student leaders have accused the state government of misleading job seekers and abandoning its earlier commitments. They have renewed their demand for an inquiry and action over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.