The Jharkhand Police registered an FIR against more than 12,051 people, including 51 identified individuals, for allegedly being involved in a clash with police personnel during a BJYM rally in Ranchi, officials said. The booked protestors also include some prominent BJP leaders, like the party's Jharkhand unit president Babulal Marandi, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Amar Kumar Bauri, Union minister Sanjay Seth and former central minister Arjun Munda.
Providing details about the FIR, Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chandan Kumar Sinha said, "An FIR has been lodged at Ranchi's Lalpur police station on Saturday on the basis of the statement of the magistrate." SSP Chandan further added that action would soon be taken against these people. Meanwhile, Lalpur police station in-charge Rupesh Kumar Singh said, "The FIR was registered against 12,000 people, including 51 identified individuals."
BJP stages protest against police action
Notably, BJP workers on Saturday staged protest at all district headquarters and police stations against the police action on Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers during the rally on Friday. During the protest rally, a scuffle broke out between the police and BJP Yuva Morcha workers after they broke barricades in Ranchi against the "injustice" meted out by the Hemant Soren government and its "failure to fulfil election promises".
Section 163 imposed
The police used tear gas shells, water cannons and fired rubber bullets to disperse the BJP youth wing workers. Both sides claimed that several protesters and policemen were injured in the altercation. After the scuffle, the district administration had enforced Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which replaced erstwhile Section 144 of the CrPC, within a 500-metre radius of the venue, the Morabadi Ground, excluding the premises.
As per the prohibitory orders, public meetings, rallies, dharnas, demonstrations and gatherings of five or more people within this perimeter from 11 am to 11 pm was banned on Friday.
(With PTI Inputs)
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