Saraikela, August 21: The controversy revolving around Surya Hansda’s encounter has further intensified as soon after BJP leader Arjun Munda raised serious doubts on the police version, AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto has now echoed the same concerns. Mahto, the former Jharkhand deputy Chief Minister has said that people have little trust in the official story and demanded a fair probe to bring out the truth.
Mahto said that if questions are being raised over the police action in Surya Hansda case, there must be valid reasons behind it. “With the state’s surrender policy already in place, what was the urgency that led to Surya Hansda being encountered,” the AJSU chief questioned.
In the meantime, though Mahto stated to be unaware of Surya’s previous record; however, he raised the question of whether the current Jharkhand government had taken any steps to integrate him into the mainstream through the state’s surrender policy. He added that in such circumstances, doubts are natural to arise—especially when the family has leveled serious allegations against the police. Mahto further expressed that as the encounter has triggered several questions, the government should come forward with clear answers.
Earlier on Wednesday, Munda had described the alleged police encounter of Surya Hansda as a carefully orchestrated conspiracy and demanded for a CBI investigation.
Notably on August 11, Surya was fatally shot by the police, reportedly while attempting to escape during a transfer from Deoghar to Godda. The police stated that during questioning, Hansda disclosed the location of concealed weapons in the Jirli–Dhamni hills of Godda. While en route to the site, he purportedly seized a weapon from an officer and tried to escape, resulting in a confrontation.
However, Surya’s family and relatives have strongly refuted this account, labeling it a “premeditated encounter.”
