Ranchi : The bandh called by the BJP across Jharkhand and the Assembly gherao programme organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Ranchi on Tuesday, in protest against the police lathicharge on students agitating over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations, witnessed a mixed response.

While BJP workers staged demonstrations and blocked roads at several locations in the state capital, ABVP activists attempting to march towards the Jharkhand Assembly were stopped and detained by the police.

Despite sporadic disruptions, normal life remained largely unaffected in many parts of Ranchi during the morning hours. Most commercial establishments stayed open and vehicular movement was largely smooth across the city.

From around 8 a.m., BJP workers took to the streets in several localities, urging traders to down shutters in support of the bandh. Road blockades were reported from Kanke Road, Ratu Road, Harmu Chowk, Argora Chowk, Bodeya and near the CMPDI gate.

Protesters also burnt tyres at several places, disrupting traffic for brief periods before police personnel cleared the roads and restored movement.

In Namkum, BJP workers staged a sit-in protest at Bazaar Chowk around 11 a.m. and blocked the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway after burning tyres. Police later detained the protesters and removed the blockade, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway.

A similar protest was organised in Lowadih under the leadership of BJP Mandal president Ashok Gop. According to police, 11 bandh supporters were detained from Lowadih and 17 from Namkum and taken to the local police station.

However, the impact of the bandh was uneven across the state capital. Markets remained open and traffic moved normally in several areas, including Main Road, Bariatu and Morabadi.

Meanwhile, the ABVP’s Assembly gherao programme saw activists from across the state gather near the old Assembly complex to protest Monday’s police action against students associated with the JPSC-JSSC movement.

Sloganeering activists sat on the road and attempted to proceed towards the Assembly premises, but were stopped by police.

A brief scuffle ensued between protesters and security personnel during the standoff.

Police subsequently detained the activists and escorted them into buses. In a dramatic show of protest, some student leaders climbed onto bus roofs and continued raising slogans, while others lay down on the road in front of and behind the vehicles.

Outside Ranchi, the bandh had a more pronounced impact in several districts, including Hazaribagh, Palamu, Giridih and Chatra, where BJP workers organised demonstrations and road blockades, affecting vehicular movement.

In Palamu district, BJP workers blocked roads at Chhahmuhan and Redma Chowk in Daltonganj from the early hours of the morning. BJP’s Palamu district president Amit Tiwari accused the state government of endangering the future of the state’s youth through alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

In Simdega, party workers blocked National Highway-143 at multiple locations, including Biru, disrupting traffic. Similar road blockades were reported from Dhanwar in Giridih district and Pratappur in Chatra district. Demonstrations backing the bandh were also reported from several other parts of the state.

The bandh call came a day after clashes erupted between students and police during a march towards the Jharkhand Assembly. Thousands of students had gathered on Monday demanding cancellation of the disputed JPSC and JSSC examinations, reforms in the recruitment process, and a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.

Police had erected multiple barricades to prevent protesters from advancing towards the Assembly. Water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse the crowd, following which a lathicharge was carried out. Several students and police personnel were reportedly injured in the confrontation.

Ranchi : The issue of alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) dominated proceedings inside and outside the Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday, the fourth day of the Monsoon Session.

Opposition members raised slogans and stormed the Well of the House, demanding a CBI probe into the alleged recruitment scam.

As soon as Assembly proceedings commenced at 11:07 a.m., BJP legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, rose from their seats and began protesting, seeking answers from the government over the JPSC-JSSC recruitment controversy. Several opposition members soon entered the Well of the House and continued sloganeering.

Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato repeatedly urged the protesting members to return to their seats and allow Question Hour to proceed.

He remarked that all members were concerned about the interests of students and stressed the need for the House to function smoothly.

However, despite his repeated appeals, the disruption continued, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings until noon.

The confrontation also triggered sharp exchanges between members of the ruling alliance and the opposition.

Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav accused the opposition of wasting the Assembly’s time and attempting to create an atmosphere of disorder in the state.

He said the government was serious about safeguarding the future of students and noted that cases related to the JPSC-JSSC recruitment examinations were already being investigated by the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Yadav further stated that students staged a protest outside the Assembly on Monday and that the government would place the entire sequence of events before the House.

He alleged that while the students’ demonstration was peaceful, some individuals allegedly linked to the BJP attempted to disrupt the situation. According to him, the administration had also arranged transportation to facilitate the students’ return after the protest concluded.

Opposition members maintained that only a CBI investigation could ensure an impartial probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations. They also raised the issue of alleged police action against students during Monday’s Assembly gherao protest.

Bengaluru : Police investigating the alleged kidnapping and life threats issued to Sandeep, a witness in the Renukaswamy murder case, have reportedly traced two industrialists who allegedly played a key role in threatening him.

The two have been identified as Kiran and Gaurav Shetty, police said on Tuesday. Investigators are also examining the role of an influential woman in the case.

According to police sources, forensic analysis of call records has revealed that Kiran and Gaurav Shetty were on a conference call when Sandeep was allegedly threatened. Investigators suspect that the duo used accused Puneeth to intimidate and blackmail Sandeep.

Sandeep, a bar cashier and the 49th witness in the fan murder case, had allegedly been forcibly taken in a car and threatened with dire consequences. Kamakshipalya police subsequently registered a case and began investigating the incident.

Police had earlier arrested three accused persons — Puneeth, Suhas and Venu — in connection with the case. During the investigation, police seized Puneeth’s mobile phone and retrieved his WhatsApp data. The data was subsequently sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis.

The FSL findings reportedly helped investigators establish the communication between the accused and the two industrialists. Police suspect that Kiran and Gaurav were in a conference call with Puneeth at the time Sandeep was allegedly threatened.

Investigators are also examining the role of an influential woman in the case. According to police sources, the woman allegedly contacted Puneeth before Kiran and Gaurav Shetty approached him and asked him to carry out whatever instructions were given by the two industrialists.

Police suspect that the threats to Sandeep were part of an attempt to intimidate him and prevent him from providing information or testimony in the murder case.

The investigation gained momentum after police recovered and analysed digital evidence from Puneeth’s mobile phone. The WhatsApp data and other forensic evidence reportedly helped investigators establish the alleged roles of the accused and their communication with others involved in the case.

Police are now awaiting further technical and forensic reports before deciding on the next course of action against those suspected of involvement.

Sandeep is listed as the 49th witness in the Renukaswamy murder case.

The latest developments have added another layer to the investigation, with police examining whether the alleged threats were intended to influence or intimidate witnesses connected to the case.

The Renukaswamy murder case relates to the alleged abduction and murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan from Chitradurga. Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and 15 others have been arrested and charge-sheeted in connection with the case.

According to the prosecution, Renukaswamy was allegedly abducted and brought to Bengaluru in June 2024. Investigators have alleged that he was assaulted at a shed before succumbing to his injuries. His body was later allegedly dumped near a stormwater drain on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The case is currently being tried before the Bengaluru Sessions Court. The Supreme Court had earlier cancelled Darshan’s bail and directed his immediate re-arrest, while also ordering that he should not be given VIP treatment in prison.