Three FIRs have been lodged against 28 named and more than 900 unnamed people in connection with clashes that broke out between police and protesting job aspirants in Jharkhand’s Giridih and Hazaribag, officials said on Sunday.
The development comes a day after three FIRs were registered at Ranchi's Kotwali police station against 14 named and 200 unidentified people for allegedly obstructing government work and clashing with the police.
In Giridih, two FIRs were filed at the Town police station in connection with clashes on Friday and Saturday, while another FIR was lodged in Hazaribag for allegedly obstructing government work and assaulting police personnel, the officials said.
On Friday, thousands of students protesting against alleged Jharkhand recruitment exam irregularities had gathered at the Gandhi Maidan to burn an effigy of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, where a scuffle between the agitators and the police took place.
In Hazaribag district, an FIR was registered against 18 named accused and 700 unnamed people at Korra police station for allegedly obstructing government work and assaulting policemen, while attempting to burn an effigy of Soren on August 21, Hazaribag Sadar DSP Rupak Kumar Singh told PTI.
“We lodged the FIR based on the application of Sadar CO Ashutosh Kumar,” he said.
Korra police station officer-in-charge Nemdhari Rajak said so far no one has been arrested or detained in this connection, but the police are analysing CCTV and video footage to identify the miscreants.
Rajak said a total of eight personnel, including four sub-inspectors who were OCs of four police stations – Korra, Lohsinghna, Sadar, and Bada Bazar – were injured.
The accused have been booked under the BNS for assaulting police, obstructing government duty and unlawful assembly, he added.
In Giridih, the first FIR was filed based on the application of ABVP activist Anish Rai, while the second was lodged on the application of Sadar Circle Inspector (CI) Manoj Kumar Singh.
The officer-in-charge of Giridih Town police station told PTI that the first FIR was registered against JMM leaders and workers, and 11 people, including the party’s district president Sanjay Singh, have been named as accused, whereas 20 are unidentified.
In the second FIR, around 10 people are named accused and 200 are unidentified.
“The accused have been booked for alleged attempt to halt traffic at five locations, clash with the police for trying to burn effigy of the CM and using abusive language against him…” the officer 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.
(With inputs from PTI)