RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Jan. 29: Morhabadi ground wore a deserted look today after the district administration ordered to close all the 289 makeshift shops running there as a preventive measure against the deteriorating law and order in the heart of Jharkhand capital.
The situation came two days after the incident of shoot out near the residence of JMM supremo Shibu Soren that claimed one life and left at least four injured.
Makeshift shop owners took strong exception to the order and today staged demonstration near Manya Palace banquet hall to protest against it. They had brought their family members with them to give a message about how their lives have been affected due to failure of the city police in prevention and control of crime.
“We are being made to sacrifice goats in war between two gangs. We have lost our source of income due to the failure of the district administration,” said a fast food shop owner sharing his problem.
President of Morhabadi Dukandar Sangh Kumar Roshan said the district administration should find out some alternative way instead of depriving poor vendors of their source of income.
“Instead of closure of shops, policing should be improved in the city. We will prefer taking a bullet to losing our source of income,” he said, expressing his concern over the situation.
A section of police officials, however, said some of the kiosks in Morhabadi ground had turned Romeo point and ideal destination for spending time for criminals.
“If criminals had not felt comfortable in that area they would have never dared to open fire that put entire police officials in trouble. In the incident not only gangsters but an army personnel and his better half also got injured. Apart from this, the incident terrified many and compelled many senior police official to cut a sorry figure before the chief minister, who is already facing criticism taking incident of mob lynching, gang rape and murder besides others across the state,” a police official said.
The police official said Morhabadi has remained a high security zone. Many prominent establishments of the state including CBI office to the offices of DC and SSP are located here. Apart from this, the place is close to educational institutions like the PG department of Ranchi University and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University.
