Tension has escalated across the State especially at Hazaribagh and Ranchi districts, following the murder of Rupesh Kumar Pandey, by an irate mob last week during Goddess Saraswati idol immersion at Barhi block of Hazaribagh.
Right wing organizations including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and BJP who have been demanding justice for Pandey have taken to streets taking out candle light procession and protest march.
Rupesh Kumar Pandey, 17, died after being assaulted on Sunday evening at Kariyadpur village in Barhi police station area of Hazaribagh during immersion procession after Saraswati Puja. On Monday, a group of youths blocked the Barhi roundabout after some anti-social elements damaged a religious structure in town.
The groups, who were protesting against the incident were demanding the arrest of culprits behind the incident. The Hazaribagh district administration as a precautionary measure imposed section 144 of CrPC in the area and also deployed a large number of police personnel in the area. The police to prevent any untoward incident also conducted flag march in the area.
Meanwhile, in State Capital, on Monday a candle light procession was taken out by some right wing groups at Albert Ekka roundabout protesting against the murder of Rupesh Pandey. The candle light procession was taken out by Bhairav Singh, one of the prime accused in the attack on Chief Minister Hemant Soren's convoy last year.
Singh, was at the forefront of the protest which led to the damage of the pilot car of CM’s convoy at Kishoreganj and injury of a traffic inspector in January last year. The CM cavalcade was diverted to another route due to the agitation. Singh surrendered to Ranchi police and later a Ranchi Court granted bail to him, but Bhairav Singh became the poster boy of right wing groups.
State BJP legislative party leader and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi targeting the state government said, “There are loopholes in police investigation in the case. Prima facie it appears to be case of mob lynching but the police have failed to lodge mob lynching case charges in the case.”
The BJP leader also said that as per the provisions of anti-mob lynching bill passed in the Jharkhand Assembly recently, two and more than two persons involved in violence amounts to mob lynching, also the IPC provisions state that five or more than five persons involved in violence is mob lynching, but in Rupesh Pandey case police have not registered mob lynching case despite the fact that six persons were behind the incident.
The relatives of the boy have demanded action under the provisions of the Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021, which aims at providing "effective protection" of constitutional rights of people and the prevention of mob violence.
Police have registered FIR against 27 persons besides many unknown people. So far four arrests have been made while a hunt is on for others.