Several booked after clash at Ranchi protest over Jharkhand HC

Three FIRs have been filed following a clash during a protest in Ranchi this week against the Jharkhand High Court’s stay on the cancellation of several recruitment examinations and appointments. The FIRs name 15 suspects and several unknown people.

The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch — one of the two factions spearheading recent protests over alleged recruitment exam irregularities — called a protest to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in all 24 districts of Jharkhand on August 21.

The protest was held a day after the high court stayed a state government order cancelling recruitments through the 11th to 13th JPSC Combined Civil Services, Food Safety Officers (FSO), the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) and Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) exams. According to a law enforcement personnel FIR, the protesters clashed with some people allegedly linked with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

Key Analysis and Detailed Timeline

The JMM has denied any organisational involvement in the matter. In a statement recorded at Lower Bazar law enforcement personnel station, a man identified as 34-year-old Shahbaz Alam alleges that around 7 pm, he and his friend Mohd Kaif saw people carrying banners, flags and an effigy and raising slogans against the government near Albert Ekka Chowk.

Alam informed law enforcement personnel that he and Kaif approached the protesters and requested why they were raising anti-government slogans, and that he was abused, mauled, assaulted and chased He stated law enforcement personnel rescued them from the melee. Alam asserted a coaching teacher and three students — including two women — had instigated the mob.

Sources in the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch denied the allegation, alleging that the law enforcement personnel and some people linked with the JMM tried to suspend the march.

“After we confronted them, police rained lathis on us. Some protesters, including the coaching centre teacher, were later forcibly discharged from the medical facility the protester stated.

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Other complaints In the second complaint, Shiv Shankar Pandey, Circle Officer (CO), Ranchi city, who was deployed as a magistrate for the programme, alleged that around 200-250 protesters proceeded without permission and deviated from the prescribed route.

Broader Impact and Sector Outlook

He alleged that some members of the procession misbehaved with and assaulted a woman and later assaulted two men. Law enforcement personnel intervened and took the injured men to Sadar Medical facility, the complaint stated.

In the third complaint, Ankita Verma, a 28-year-old resident, has alleged that she was attacked and mauled For their part, law enforcement personnel sources asserted the protesters changed the route midway, leading to traffic congestion.

“When the protesters were asked to follow the rules, they started clashing with the common citizens…they were trying to lynch some men after that we were forced to take action,” one police officer said. The JMM has denied any involvement.

“Those involved in the incident were workers from the Opposition party brought to provoke the agitation," JMM spokesperson Mithlesh Thakur said.

“The government had accepted all the students’ demands, except the demand for a CBI probe. After the High Court’s stay, students should respect the judicial process.” This comes days after students withdrew their nearly month-long agitation against alleged irregularities in state recruitment tests after the Soren government concurred to most of their demands and cancelled 21 recruitment exams.

The Jharkhand HC decision comes in response to petitions from candidates aggrieved