RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, July 20: The police have detained the driver of the pick van which mowed down 2018-batch Jharkhand police sub inspector Sandhya Topno.
He has identified himself as is Nizar Khan, a resident of Sikidri in Ranchi saying another one sitting with him was Sagir Khan, a resident of Tapkara in Khunti.
A police official informed this saying there were as many as 12 bovine animals on the pick van which the sub-inspector Topno wanted to intercept. The vehicle had originated from Simdega and had reached Ranchi via Khunti.
Before Toppo attempted to stop it, police officials at Khunti had also made unsuccessful attempts to stop it.
According to a local resident, the road where the event occurred connects Tapkara with the Ring Road at Tupudana. The locals claimed that the sand mafia, cattle smugglers, and opium dealers are the main users of the road.
S.P.(rural) Naushad Alam confirmed the detention of the driver but expressed his inability to divulge further details.
Topno was unmarried. She had her native village in Rania in Khunti and was presently staying at Solanki in Kalyanpur. Her close relatives and friends have expressed their concern over the incident and demanded strong action against those responsible for the death.
“After the death of Rupa Tirkey’s, this is the second setback for us. It is required to probe who is behind the cattle smuggler and how come they are so bold that they could dare to kill a police officer,” former member of tribal advisory council, Ratan Tirkey, said.
Brother of Topno, Ajit Topno said in his statement to a new agency said: “If someone is crushing police personnel on duty, it’ll be murder only…department should have sent enough force when they received information (about cattle being transported). She was the eldest of all, we lost her …the culprit should be punished.”
Anand Khalkho, president of Ranchi District Police Officers’ Association, demanded speedy trial in the matter.
