Ranchi: Police on Thursday lodged a first information report (FIR) naming 300 unnamed individuals in connection with the students' march towards the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10, officials said. The action follows days of demonstrations by job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in state recruitment examinations.
Charges and investigation
The FIR, registered at the Vidhan Sabha police station, lists offences that include violating prohibitory orders, causing damage to government property and attacking police personnel, Ranchi Superintendent of Police Paras Rana said. The accused are described in the FIR as "unknown miscreants" and the process of identifying them is under way.
Neeraj Kumar, sub-divisional police officer (Hatia), said investigators are examining multiple video recordings from the day of the march to identify those involved. No named suspects were listed in the FIR, he said, as identification is being completed through footage review.
"An FIR has been lodged against 300 unknown miscreants at the Vidhan Sabha police station for disrupting the peaceful march to the assembly on August 10," Ranchi SP Paras Rana told PTI.
Context: the agitation and the march
The arrests and the FIR come against the backdrop of an ongoing agitation by aspirants of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Job-seekers have been demonstrating in Ranchi for about 20 days protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted for various posts.
Thousands of aspirants had marched towards the state assembly on August 10 to press for action on their demands. Authorities imposed prohibitory orders ahead of the protest; police have said some demonstrators violated these orders and engaged in acts that led to damage and clashes.
What police say and next steps
Police sources said evidence-gathering is focused on identifying individuals captured in video and photographic material from the march. The FIR against unnamed persons allows investigators to proceed while the process of naming accused continues, officials added.
- FIR registered: Vidhan Sabha police station against 300 unnamed persons.
- Alleged offences: violating prohibitory orders, damaging government property, attacking police personnel.
- Investigation method: identification of suspects via video footage, said SDPO (Hatia) Neeraj Kumar.
Legal and public-order implications
Registering an FIR against a large number of unnamed individuals is a procedural step that permits police to widen the scope of investigation and add named accused as evidence emerges. Legal commentators say it is a common practice in mass protests where immediate identification of participants is not possible.
Protest organisers and student leaders have maintained the march was intended to be peaceful while seeking a formal inquiry into alleged examination irregularities. Police statements, by contrast, say some participants breached curbs and assaulted officers, leading to the filing of criminal charges.
Local impact and immediate developments
The agitation has disrupted normal activity in parts of Ranchi and drawn attention from political leaders. Protesters have been camped at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in the city; the demonstration continued for days after the August 10 march. There were reports of police action to disperse crowds during the march, which some demonstrators say resulted in injuries.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Ranchi (Vidhan Sabha area) |
| FIR registered | Against 300 unknown persons |
| Main allegations | Violation of prohibitory orders, damage to government property, attack on police |
What protesters seek
Demonstrators have been pressing for a transparent probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted for state-level posts. The movement has been sustained for about 20 days, with students and job aspirants demanding accountability and remedial action from authorities.
Police said they will continue to compile evidence and add named accused to the FIR as identities are confirmed. No further details on arrests were provided on Thursday.
Officials did not specify a timeline for concluding the identification process or for filing chargesheets. The situation remains under close watch as investigators process footage and witness accounts from the August 10 incident.
