Normal life was affected in Jharkhand’s state capital Ranchi after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and leaders protested against the murder of the party’s Ranchi (rural) unit general secretary Anil Mahto.
The protests also led the assembly to be adjourned as BJP legislators created a ruckus in the House.
Mahto was gunned down by two assailants in broad daylight at Kanke Chowk, barely 50 metres from Kanke police station on Wednesday. One assailant was chased and caught by Mahto’s supporters and police.
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Key arterial roads, along with markets and schools remained shut as the bandh was effective from 8am to 5pm.
A few BJP lawmakers were taken in preventive detention in wake of the bandh.
“Probe is going on. Around 100 bandh supporters have been detained since morning”, SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha said.
While speaker Rabindranath Mahto urged the opposition to allow question hour to run, senior BJP legislator CP Singh said, “You shouldn’t be shielding a killer government’.
The statement didn’t go down well with the treasury bench due to which the opposition leaders tried to interrupt House proceedings forcing the speaker to adjourn the House till 12:55pm.
Meanwhile, a police officer aware of the developments, told HT that the motive behind the murder is yet to be ascertained adding that no first information report (FIR) has been registered.
“Though Rohit Verma, one of the accused in Mahto’s murder case, was arrested on Wednesday a few minutes after the murder after locals chased him sitting on a SUV but reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained. Verma is saying Mahto was shot dead to take revenge for Shubham Jaiswal killing in Lohardaga on January 14 this year. Shubham Jaiswal alias Chotu was a criminal involved in ₹13 lakh robbery in Pandra. Verma also disclosed the name of one Aman Singh saying he was also involved in the murder”, the police official said.
“However, unless Singh is arrested and whatever said by Verma is not verified, giving any conclusive statement on the reason behind the murder is difficult for police. Police so far have not talked to family members of the deceased to conclude something. An FIR is yet to be registered in this connection,” the official added.