Jharkhand HC orders no coercive step be taken against BJP leaders over march to secretariat

Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday ordered that no coercive step be taken against BJP leaders over a case registered against them in connection with their march to the secretariat on April 11 last year.

A case was registered with Dhurwa police station in Ranchi against Jharkhand BJP leaders, including party's state chief Babulal Marandi, Union minister Arjun Munda, Godda MP Nishikant Dubey, Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth and former chief minister Raghubar Das, for allegedly violating prohibitory orders clamped at the secretariat.

The high court was hearing a petition in this regard.

After hearing the matter, the court ordered the government to file an affidavit. The matter will be heard again on May 8.

BJP workers had clashed with the police while marching towards the secretariat for a preannounced gherao programme.

Police had burst tear gas shells, used water cannons and lathi-charged the protestors to prevent them from marching towards the secretariat, where prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc were clamped as a deterrent.

An FIR was registered against 41 BJP leaders and workers, including Union minister Arjun Munda and former chief ministers Raghubar Das and Babulal Marandi, for violating the prohibitory orders.

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