THREE FIRs have been lodged against 39 named and more than 900 unnamed people in connection with clashes that broke out between the police and protesting job aspirants in Jharkhand’s Giridih and Hazaribag, officials said on Sunday. The development comes a day after three FIRs were registered at Ranchi’s Kotwali police station against 14 named and 200 unidentified people for allegedly obstructing Government work and clashing with the police. In Giridih, two FIRs were filed at Town police station in connection with clashes on Friday and Saturday, while another FIR was lodged in Hazaribag for allegedly obstructing Government work and assaulting police personnel, the officials said. On Friday, thousands of students protesting against alleged Jharkhand recruitment exam irregularities had gathered at the Gandhi Maidan to burn an effigy of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, where a scuffle between the agitators and the police took place.

 

In Hazaribag district, an FIR was registered against 18 named accused and 700 unnamed people at Korra police station for allegedly obstructing Government work and assaulting policemen, while attempting to burn an effigy of Soren on August 21, Hazaribag Sadar DSP Rupak Kumar Singh told PTI. “We lodged the FIR based on the application of Sadar Circle Officer Ashutosh Kumar,” he said. Korra police station officer-in-charge Nemdhari Rajak said so far no one has been arrested or detained in this connection, but the police are analysing CCTV and video footage to identify the miscreants. Rajak said a total of eight personnel, including four subinspectors who were OCs of four police stations -- Korra, Lohsinghna, Sadar, and Bada Bazar -- were injured. The accused have been booked under the BNS for assaulting police, obstructing Government staffers, and unlawful assembly, he added.