FIRs Against 14 Named, 200 Unnamed Persons Over Ranchi Students-Cops Clash

At least three FIRs were filed on Saturday against 14 named and over 200 unnamed people in connection with a clash between police and job aspirants here, an official said.

The FIRs were registered at Ranchi's Kotwali police station for allegedly obstructing government work and clashing with police.

"Three FIRs have been registered against 14 named accused and over 200 unidentified persons at Kotwali police station in connection with Friday's clash," Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said.

Another official said one of the FIRs was lodged by police against alleged miscreants for obstructing government duty and violating route-chart norms.

The other two FIRs were filed by two individuals, the official said.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders alleged that a woman, Amisha Prasad, who runs an NGO, was detained by police and brought to Kotwali police station for participating in Friday's agitation.

Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly Babulal Marandi, Ranchi Mayor Roshni Khalkho, BJP MLA C P Singh and others reached the Kotwali police station and remained there for about three hours.

"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 alleged that the manner in which the Jharkhand government's "goons" and JMM workers behaved with protesting students during Friday's effigy-burning procession would not be tolerated.

"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," Marandi alleged.

A police official, however, said the woman was not detained in connection with 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," he said.

A scuffle broke out on Friday between police and students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations in Ranchi, with the agitators attempting to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, officials said.

Student leaders under the banner of the 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch' have accused the state government of "deceiving" and "betraying" job aspirants after the high court stayed some notifications cancelling appointments through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations and the JSSC-CGL.

The High Court on Friday stayed notifications cancelling the appointments of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and those recruited through the JSSC-CGL examination.

On Thursday, the court had stayed notifications cancelling the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations, and also stayed the order cancelling the appointments of food safety officers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)