VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, April 7: Days before the Ramanavami festival, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday handed over a cheque of Rs five lakh and the appointment letter to Hazaribagh resident Urmila Devi who lost her minor son Rupesh Pandey in a communal clash.
The chief minister assured the mother and other family members that the perpetrators of the crime would not be spared and the state government would ensure justice for the family.
Urmila Devi and her family members were invited by the government to the chief minister’s official residence on Kanke Road where the cheque for the compensation and appointment letter was given. Minister Badal, Champai Soren, and MLA Uma Shankar Akela were present.
This is seen as an attempt of the government to assuage the anger of the people who were boiling over the brutal murder of 17 years old Rupesh Pandey. Notably, the Ramanavami festival is set to take place on Sunday, and Hazaribagh is a sensitive district. The death of Rupesh Pandey had become a national issue as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) took cognizance of the murder. The BJP carried out a series of protests and accused the government of its alleged minority appeasement. Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra too had visited Ranchi to sympathize with the family. But the district administration returned him back from the airport.
A native of Hazaribagh, Rupesh Pandey was murdered in a clash during the Saraswati Puja immersion procession at Dulmaha village, Barhi police station on February 6. His post-mortem report reveals injuries that led to the failure of internal organs. Injury marks were found on the eyes, ears, chest, belly, and legs. Blunt as well as sharp objects were used to kill him.
The BJP and the Hindu outfit blamed Rupesh Pandey was lynched by a mob. But the government denied that the murder of Rupesh Pandey was a case of mob lynching.
