RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, April 17: Several sustained injuries as police resorted to lathi charge to prevent students from laying siege to Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s official residence on Kanke Road in protest of the state government’s recruitment policy that allows outsiders too in class III and IV government jobs.
Before the police used batons they warned the students not to enter the 200-meter periphery of the CM’s house reminding them of prohibitory orders of the district administration issued on Sunday. The police gave a warning when they noticed that students, who were stopped much before the prohibited area, took an alternative route to reach the CM’s residence defying the administrative instruction and ignoring barricading.
The final count of injuries has not come so far but a police official deputed on the spot said many students sustained injuries and were taken to RIMS for treatment. The Police took many students into its custody after the incident as students kept on raising anti-government slogans and terming the incident an attempt to exercise the democratic right of people to agitate for its legitimate demands.
The situation came despite the deputation of around 2000 security personnel under the control of magistrates and the installation of barricading at 36 places in between Morabadi ground, the venue where students had assembled to march, to the CM residence.
With the development, students’ agitation in the state is expected to be intensified. Tomorrow the students will take out a torchlight procession and the day after tomorrow they have decided to observe a statewide bandh.