Jamshedpur: Following the murder of Karni Sena leader Himanshu Singh, five individuals have been arrested, and prohibitory orders are in effect across parts of Jamshedpur as opposition parties call for a city-wide bandh to protest the escalating crime rates.
Five people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Karni Sena leader Himanshu Singh, with a reward announced for the absconding prime accused.
Himanshu Singh's family cremated his body under tight security after initially refusing, following an agreement with authorities.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS have been imposed in six police station limits of Jamshedpur to prevent violent demonstrations.
Opposition parties, led by the BJP, have called for a Jamshedpur bandh on July 3 to protest the deteriorating law and order situation.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren ordered the removal of two Senior Superintendents of Police and suspended four other police personnel for alleged negligence related to the incident.
Three more people allegedly involved in the murder of Karni Sena leader Himanshu Singh in Jamshedpur were arrested, while his family, which had refused to accept the body until the culprits are apprehended, cremated his mortal remains under tight security, police said on Wednesday.
With the fresh arrests, the total number of people apprehended in the case went up to five.
The police also announced a Rs two lakh reward for providing information about Vishwanath Mandal, the absconding prime accused.
The East Singhbhum district administration imposed prohibitory orders in parts of Jamshedpur in Jharkhand on Wednesday, anticipating violent demonstrations over the killing that happened after he protested an alleged eve-teasing outside a bar in Jamshedpur.
The opposition parties called for a Jamshedpur bandh on July 3 in protest against 'deteriorating law and order'.
The steel city witnessed massive demonstrations on Monday after the 28-year-old man succumbed to injuries he received during a brawl outside a bar on Saturday night.
"We have arrested three accused in the Himanshu murder case. His family members had refused to perform the last rites unless the culprits were arrested and the policemen in whose presence he was stabbed are booked for murder. However, they received the body for cremation today following an agreement with the authorities," DIG (Kolhan) Anuranjan Kispota told IWP.
Senior police officers met the bereaved family and persuaded them to accept the body and cremate it. The post-mortem was conducted late on Tuesday night.
Himanshu's cremation was held amidst tight security arrangements on Wednesday evening.
The family had said on Monday night that the administration must arrest the culprits within 48 hours and act against the police personnel who were present when he was knifed.
About the other demands of the victim's family, the DIG said a recommendation has been forwarded to the state Director General of Police for necessary action, the officer said. The demands included a government job for Himanshu's widow.
East Singhbhum district police also announced a Rs two lakh reward for providing information about Vishwanath Mandal alias Bodra, SP (City) Lalit Meena said in a statement.
Mandal is a resident of Dhatkidih under Gamariah police station of Seraikela-Kharswan district.
The identity of the informer will be kept confidential, the statement added.
Earlier in the day, the district administration of East Singhbhum promulgated a prohibitory order under Section 163 BNSS in six police station limits of Jamshedpur, anticipating violent demonstrations to protest the murder of Himanshu, the president of the Seraikela-Kharswan district committee of Karni Sena.
In a notification issued on Wednesday, Sub-Divisional Officer (Dhalbhum) Arnav Mishra said the restrictive order was imposed in Sakchi, Bistupur, Sonari, Kadma, Mango and MGM police station limits of Jamshedpur after receiving inputs about possible road blockades, public meetings and demonstrations against Saturday night's incident.
The order which came into effect from Wednesday will remain in force till further notice.
A 'Sarvdaliye Sarv Samaj', led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-United, called for a Jamshedpur bandh on July 3 in protest against deteriorating law and order.
They also hold a torchlight procession on Thursday evening to garner support for the bandh.
Janata Dal-United MLA Saryu Roy alleged that around 1,300 cleaver attacks have occurred in the last five months, which indicates the state of affairs of law and order.
The protest by Himanshu and his friend Pratiyush Singh at the bar on Saturday night led to a scuffle with the accused.
Police intervened and took the two to their patrol vehicle.
However, the accused allegedly dragged Singh and his friend out of the vehicle and stabbed them with cleavers. Both the injured were rushed to Tata Main Hospital, where Himanshu succumbed Monday night.
Pratiyush is struggling for life in a hospital in Kolkata.
Himanshu's death triggered a massive protest as a group of people, including the family members, had staged a road blockade at Bistupur roundabout for over six hours, disrupting road traffic badly.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has on late Tuesday night ordered the removal of Senior Superintendent of Police (East Singhbhum) Piyush Pandey and Superintendent of Police of Seraikela-Kharsawan Nidhi Dwivedi for failing to control criminal activities.
Four police personnel, including the Station In-Charge of Bistupur police station, were suspended earlier.
Former chief minister and BJP leader Raghubar Das met Singh's family and later claimed that police had been a mute spectator when the accused stabbed the Kani Sena leader and his friend once inside the patrol vehicle and again after dragging them outside of it.
He described the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led dispensation as a 'government of criminals and mafia, and not a government of the people'.
JMM spokesperson Kunal Sarangi told PTI that the Jharkhand chief minister and the police chief were monitoring the situation and asserted that the state government has a zero-tolerance policy for crime.
The government has assured Singh's wife of all possible help, he added.
