Despite putting all their efforts Khunti district administration and State police could not rescue the three abducted jawans from the captivity of Patthalgadi supporters on Wednesday. Police have though fortified the area about 8 kms away from Khunti district headquarters and have detained several villagers during the daylong rescue operation; they could not trace the whereabouts of the jawans.
After three jawans deputed in the security of MP Kariya Munda’s house in Anigarha village were abducted by the Patthalgadi supporters on Tuesday, the administration deputed hundreds of jawans to rescue them. The forces include RAF, Jharkhand Jaguar and JAP jawans.
Additionally, 388 trainee Assistant Sub Inspectors from Police Training Centre Hazaribagh have been deputed at Khunti by State Police citing the law and order problems there. According to the order issued by ADG (Operations) the ASIs will be under the command of SP, Khunti and will return to training centre by July 01.
Police had to resort to lathi charge and firing in air to disperse a protesting mob of over a thousand Patthalgadi supporters near Ghaghra village in Khunti. More than 200 villagers were detained and were taken to Khunti camp jail during the day.
State police headquarters stated that a villager died during treatment in Khunti on Wednesday. The man is said to have been seriously injured during the police action and stampede when the police resorted to lathi charge at Ghaghra village.
Officials said that by evening the villagers were largely pacified and were ready to talk but they have no clue of the abducted jawans. Khunti SP Ashwini Kumar Sinha said that the forces were still hunting for the abducted jawans however they have not been able to get the location of the captives.
“We cannot say whether the villagers are ready to talk or not but the real status is that the forces are still looking for the abducted jawans and hopefully we shall get them soon,” said Sinha adding that the death of the villager today was due to the stampede.
IG (Operations) Ashish Batra said that during the search operation and detention of the villagers it was gathered that the Patthalgadi leaders were trying to dupe the innocent villagers by giving them job offers in offshore countries like Canada. He said that the police was toiling to find the abducted jawans as an intensive search operation was on in the area.
At the time of filing the report senior officials of district administration were camping in the area with heavy presence of forces. Police is likely to begin search operation to rescue the jawans and arrest rape accused on Thursday morning.