A woman police official engaged in a vehicle checking drive near Ranchi was run over by a pickup van allegedly involved in the cattle smuggling early on Wednesday.
Sandhya Topno, a 32-year-old Assistant Sub Inspector of Police (ASI), was conducting the vehicle checking drive at Tupudana on the outskirts of Ranchi when the speeding vehicle carrying cattle knocked her down and fled.
The ASI was rushed to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences hospital where the doctors declared her brought dead. Police have nabbed accused Nigaar Khan and seized the vehicle, said the Ranchi SSP.
Search is on for another accused, who was inside the vehicle.Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has demanded a CBI enquiry in the ASI Sandhya Topno murder case.
Das said a syndicate of cattle smugglers is active in Jharkhand, which needs to be checked. Targeting the JMM-Congress alliance Government, the former Chief Minister said that after the coming of this government, the morale of animal smugglers has increased.
Das also demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the kin of the victim. He further said that another courageous daughter of State has become a victim of the criminals. Das said, “The incident indicates that the spirits of criminals have become high that even policemen are not safe in the state. Under the rule of JMM/Congress government , the courage of the cow smugglers has increased. The matter is related to vote banks. Therefore, like the Roopa Tirkey case, the murder of Sandhya Topno ji should not remain a mystery.”
Echoing the views of Das, State BJP President and MP Deepak Prakash in a video message said that the business of cow smuggling has increased under the JMM-Congress government. The smugglers have the support of the state government.
This incident shows that the state is on the side of Jungle Raj. Prakash demanded the state government to take strict steps immediately to stop cow smuggling.BJP legislative party leader, Babulal Marandi said that the murder of SI Sandhya Topno by cattle smugglers shows that despite ban illegal cattle smuggling is going in state. Marnadi said that it appears that a big gang of cattle smugglers is working in the State.
Marandi questioned that when police officers are not safe in the state then how come the government can provide safety and security to common people.While at the same time BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo raising the issue has pointed out that when there were ten male police personnel at the police station than why a female SI sandhya was sent on night duty. Shahdeo questioned that unarmed SI was sent on duty at the PLFI affected area. Shahdeo has also pointed out where cattle which were seized after the incident.