Ranchi tense as 2 die in clashes amid row over Prophet remark

RANCHI: Jharkhand’s capital city remained tense and in virtual shutdown on Saturday with heavy police presence in sensitive areas, a day after widespread violence led to the death of two persons and left eight others with serious injuries.

The injured are admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences. One of them, Nadeem Ansari, is in critical condition.

No untoward incident was reported from any part of the city on Saturday as security was beefed up across the state capital. With heavy police presence, streets across Ranchi remained deserted through the day as all markets were closed, except medical establishments and petrol pumps. Few vehicles were seen on the roads. Auto rickshaws started plying only in the afternoon. The violence-hit Mahatma Gandhi Road was barricaded and manned by personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force. Security personnel conducted flag marches in the area.

Internet services remained suspended for an indefinite period and curfew was extended from Mahatma Gandhi Road on Friday evening to 12 police station limits of Ranchi on Saturday. Police would assess the situation on Sunday before taking a call on lifting prohibitory orders as well resuming internet services, officials said.

The last rites of the two deceased, Mohammad Mudassir Kaifi, resident of Hindpirhi, and Mohammad Sahil, resident of Karbala Tank Road, were conducted on Saturday, said a police officer.

A total 14 policemen received injuries in the clashes after Friday prayers, police said. As many as 13 persons were brought for treatment at RIMS, officials said.

“Of the 13, three were discharged after required treatment from the emergency itself. Two succumbed to their injuries,” said Dr Hirendra Birua, superintendent, RIMS. “Eight others, including one policeman, are under treatment in different wards. One person is critical. He is under treatment in the trauma centre and is currently on ventilator.”

Birua declined to dwell on the nature of injuries to the deceased and injured. “Bodies of the two deceased were handed over to their families after postmortem. We can’t reveal the findings at this stage...,” he said. “The injured are being treated in different wards as per the nature of their injuries.”

Chief minister Hemant Soren on Saturday ordered a probe into the violence, an official said. A two-member committee, comprising IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal, and additional director general of police Sanjay Latkar, was formed to investigate the violence, an official told PTI. The panel will submit its report to the state government in a week.

A special investigation team has also been set up to probe the incident, Ranchi’s deputy inspector general Anish Gupta said.

The injured and the deceased received bullet injuries after police opened fire on Friday evening after people started protesting against remarks made by former spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Navin Kumar Jindal of the Bharatiya Janata Party, their family members told HT at the hospital.

Of the four protesters being treated in the intensive care unit at RIMS, one of them, Mohammed Afsar, told HT that he was hit by six bullets during the police firing near Daily Market crossroad.

“I was standing near the parking stand next to the Hanuman temple when police opened fire. I have bullet injuries in both my legs. Doctors have pulled out four bullets while two more are to be extracted,” said Afsar.

The other three protesters under treatment on beds next to Afsar also had injuries in the lower part of their bodies. Mamum Ansari, father of Tabaraq, another protester under treatment, said his 22-year-old son has bullet injuries. “He has bullet injury just under his waist. Doctors said bullets pierced through his body and he is out of danger.” said Ansari. “I didn’t know why he had gone there...”