Three days after four persons were lynched by a mob on the suspicion of child snatching in Jharkhand, the area remains tense with imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144.
The protest against the lynching of four members of Muslim community intensified on Saturday with police resorting to fire in the air to disperse a mob.
Demanding the arrest of culprits, protesters clashed with police in different parts of Jamshedpur and called for the shutdown in the industrial town. Besides firing in the air, the police had to resort to lathicharge and teargas shelling as agitators pelted stones and bricks, blocked roads and tried to forcefully close the shops and business establishments in the area.
Police fired in the air to disperse a mob that blocked roads in Mango area, demanding arrest of culprits involved in the lynching of four persons of Muslim community at Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharswan district on Thursday.
"Police fired in the air and hurled tear gas shells to disperse the mob in Mango. However, the situation is under control now and adequate force have been deployed in the area," Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum district Amit Kumar said yesterday.
Besides Mango, members of the community also put up road blockade in Dhatkidih under Bistupur police station area.
People had also blocked Bistupur station road on Friday demanding arrest of those involved in the lynching.
Four persons the community were lynched on Thursday by villagers suspecting them to be child lifters in Seraikela-Kharswan district.
The victims were identified as cattle traders Naim (35), Sheikh Sajju (25), Sheikh Siraj (26) and Sheikh Halim (28). They were chased for close to two hours before being beaten to death in the tribal-dominated area of Rajnagar. While Sajju, Siraj and Halim belonged to Haldipokhor village (East Singhbhum), Naim hailed from Phulpal village in Ghatsila.
Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC has been promulgated in four police station areas of the steel city here in view of the prevailing tension.
"We have deployed adequate force including Rapid Action Force to maintain law and order," Sub-divisional Officer (Dhalbhum), Manoj Ranjan said.
Besides lynching of four in Rajnagar, three others of another community were also beaten to death on the same suspicion at Nagadih in East Singhbhum district the same day.
Meanwhile, Congress attacked Raghubar Das government on the issue and alleged that "jungle raj" was prevailing in the state.
"Beginning from Jamshedpur, Seraikela, Dhanbad and Bokaro, the rumours of child lifting has been gaining ground for the last seven days, which led to lynching," AICC spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said in a statement.
The chief minister yesterday announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the family members of each of the deceased.
He had also condemned the incidents and directed the officials to identify those who were spreading rumours of child lifters and taking law into their own hands.
The community members, however, refused the Rs 2 lakh compensation and submitted a long list of demands. The demands include Rs 25 lakh each as relief, government jobs to families of the victims, a ration shop and anganwadi centre in the village, houses under Central government schemes, apart from immediate arrest, an Indian Express report said.
