Ranchi Assembly gherao: FIR against 600 protesters over violence
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Ranchi: Jharkhand Police have registered an FIR against 600 protesters allegedly involved in unrest and violence during the Assembly gherao in Ranchi on August 10, officials said on Thursday.
Of the 600 accused, 100 have been named in the FIR, while 500 unidentified protesters have also been booked.
According to the FIR registered at the Assembly Police Station, the accused have been charged with breaking police barricades put in place as part of security arrangements, manhandling and misbehaving with police personnel, obstructing government work and pelting stones at security forces during the protest.
Police said a large number of students and other protesters had gathered for the Assembly gherao. While nearly 90 per cent of the participants remained peaceful, officials alleged that around 10 per cent became aggressive and escalated the situation.
Police also alleged that some outsiders arrived at the protest site in vehicles and attempted to intensify the disturbances.
The clashes and stone-pelting left more than 14 police and security personnel injured, according to officials. Police used tear gas shells and water cannons and resorted to a lathi charge to bring the situation under control.
Authorities are now working to identify the unidentified accused. Investigators are examining video footage from the protest site, CCTV recordings and drone camera footage. Police officials said facial recognition and artificial intelligence-based technologies may also be used, if required, to identify those involved in the violence.
Students have been protesting for the past 20 days over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in various recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
One of their key demands is a CBI probe into the alleged examination irregularities. The August 10 Assembly gherao was organised as part of the ongoing agitation.
Meanwhile, the Ranchi district administration has stepped up security ahead of the next phase of the student protest.
Agitating students are preparing to lay siege to the Chief Minister's residence on August 20, although no formal announcement has been made yet.
More than 100 additional armed personnel have been deployed for the Chief Minister's security, including personnel from the Jharkhand Jaguar and the Jharkhand Armed Police.
With IANS inputs