Police-Villager Clash Erupts in Bhognadih on Hul Diwas

Bhognadih, the historic site of the 1855 Hul revolution in Sahibganj, turned into a flashpoint on Hul Diwas as a clash over organizing a programme at Sido-Kanhu Park left five policemen and around a dozen villagers injured on Monday.

- Raj Kumar

RANCHI:

Sahibganj superintendent of police (SP) Amit Kumar Singh confirmed the clash and held villagers responsible for the incident. He said the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m., and among the injured policemen, one is a deputy superintendent of police, while the others include two junior officials and two constables.

"Villagers had closed the gate of Sido-Kanhu Park, where an official function was scheduled on Monday. When police went to open the gate around 10 a.m., villagers attacked them with arrows and stones. A deputy superintendent of police, two havildars, and two constables sustained injuries and were admitted to the community health centre for treatment. It took hardly 10 minutes for the police to control the situation," Singh said.

Asked about legal action, SP Singh said, "An FIR is yet to be registered, but it will be done. So far, none has been arrested. We are trying to identify the real culprits behind the incident before taking strong action."

Meanwhile, Mandal Murmu, a Sahibganj resident who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after proposing Hemant Soren as the Jharkhand Mukta Morcha (JMM) from the Barhet assembly constituency in last year's elections, held the administration responsible for the clash.