The Ranchi Bandh called by Congress and supported by the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and other parties could not garner much response. The businesses, transport service in the city ran as usual amid protests by the workers against hooch deaths in the Capital City. Police detained several bandh enforcers near Albert Ekka Chowk, Shahid Chowk and other parts of the city.
The bandh was called against the recent deaths of kids in MGM hospital and RIMS, death of over a dozen persons in the Capital City due to Hooch consumption and deteriorating law and order condition in the State.
Two groups of Congress workers enforcers started their protest march from Rajendra Chowk and Congress State office in the morning hours on Saturday. However, they were stopped by the police near Albert Ekka Chowk and after a slight resistance by the protesting groups they were detained by the police.
Similarly JVM workers, who started their protest from Jaipal Singh Stadium and other parts of the city were stopped near Albert Ekka Chowk and were sent to a camp jail at Birsa Munda Football Stadium Morhabadi.
Congress leaders including, Alok Dubey, Rajesh Gupta, Abha Sinha, Abhilash Sahu, Gulam Sarwar Rizwi , Surendra Singh, Akhtar Ali were detained by police. JPCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat and State Congress co-incharge Umnag Singar also met the detained protesters at the camp jail.
The Congress workers called the bandh successful and said they appealed to people to support the bandh peacefully.
JVM workers and leaders, including Uttam Yadav, Jitendra Verma, Ram Manoj Sahu, Nazibullah Khan, Dilip Gupta alongwith others were arrested and sent to camp jail in Morhabadi.
Although the Congress and the JVM claimed arrest of hundreds of people during the bandh, Sadar DSP Vikas Chandra Shrivastava said that around 130 people were detained during the bandh from city areas on Saturday.