The State Government on Friday transferred Dhanbad SSP Surendra Kumar Jha to Special Task Force (STF) as SP following a report submitted by the two-member committee constituted to probe into the alleged suicide by Topchanchi Officer Incharge Umesh Kachchap on June 19.
Ranchi Traffic SP Manoj Ratan Chouthe will replace Jha in Dhanbad, while SP of STF (JJ) Ranchi Sanjay Ranjan Singh has been given charge of Traffic SP (Ranchi).
A release issued by the government said that a probe by the CID has been ordered and it will submit its report within three months. The CID probe team will comprise SP rank officers.
Notably, Baghmara DSP Manjrool Hoda, Hariharpur Police Station In-charge Santosh Rajak and Inspector DK Jha have already been suspended holding them prime facie guilty for the death of Kachchap.
The new development is being taken as a strong point that the claims made by family members of Kachchap and others that Kachhap’s death was not a simple case of suicide.
The victim's family members, who had protested with the body of Kachchap outside CM's residence, had claimed right from the moment this shocking incident came into light that he was killed and it is not a case of suicide. They had demanded an FIR lodged against Hoda, Rajak and Jha who were allegedly involved in torturing Kachhap mentally and physically.
The family members had sought prosecution of the accused officers under SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act 1989. They had also requested intervention of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) into it.
The case started with firing by police on a truck driver on Delhi-Kolkata national highway, when Hoda and Rajak were conducting a 'checking drive'. During the drive, a dispute erupted with a truck driver, which turned into Rajak shooting at the driver, said reports. The police were finding it hard to turn the entire case into an 'encounter'. An FIR was lodged in this case in Topchanchi police station.