Ranchi, Aug 24: Ranchi Police have registered three FIRs in connection with a clash during a protest in the state capital, naming 14 people and booking more than 200 unidentified persons, officials said.The cases were registered at Kotwali police station following a demonstration on Friday organised in response to a call by the JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum.
The forum had appealed to students to hold protests and burn effigies of the Chief Minister across all 24 districts of Jharkhand in connection with the continuing controversy over recruitment examinations and a recent decision of the state High Court.
Ranchi City Deputy Superintendent of Police K V Raman said on Saturday that police resorted to mild force after some protesters allegedly moved away from the route approved for the demonstration.The police subsequently registered three separate cases in connection with the incident. Fourteen individuals have been named in the FIRs, while more than 200 others have been booked without identification, officials said.
The development has triggered a political exchange between the ruling establishment and the opposition.Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi alleged that supporters of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha were deliberately present during the protest and assaulted young demonstrators with sticks and batons.
Marandi questioned why police personnel were not solely responsible for managing the protest if the administration had concerns over the demonstration. He maintained that protests, sit-ins and symbolic demonstrations are legitimate forms of democratic expression.
The allegations made by Marandi have not been independently established. Police have maintained that they intervened after protesters allegedly violated the designated route.
The incident comes amid continuing protests in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission.
The FIRs and subsequent investigation are expected to establish the circumstances that led to the clash and identify those responsible for any violence or damage during the demonstration.Being named or booked in an FIR does not by itself establish guilt, and the allegations will be subject to investigation and due legal process.
