Admin
14 August 2024
Jharkhand High Court has provided relief to top BJP leaders by quashing the FIR filed by the police against them.
The FIR dates back to April 12,2023. On this date, the Jharkhand government had lodged a complaint against the then Union Minister Arjun Munda, along with former chief ministers Raghubar Das and Babulal Marandi, and 40 others over a protest rally against the administration led by JMM leader and CM Hemant Soren.
In fact, BJP leaders and workers on the one side and and the Ranchi Police on another side had clashed on the same day during a march towards the Jharkhand secretariat for a previously announced gherao programme.
Police burst tear gas shells, used water canons and lathi-charged the protesters to prevent them from marching to the secretariat, where prohibitory orders were clamped as a deterrent.
The FIR was registered against thousands of unnamed people including the above named BJP leaders for violating government orders during the protest rally by the BJP in Ranchi.
The FIR was lodged against BJP workers for instigating riots, violence, violating prohibitory orders, hindering government business, and disobedience to orders duly promulgated by the government.
Two former CMs -- Babulal Marandi and Raghubar Das -- and Union Minister Arjun Munda, were booked under relevant Sections of the IPC. The BJP observed April 12, 2013 as a black day and staged protests in all the districts.
The party alleged that they were marching democratically, and their voices were suppressed. In a petition against the FIR, these BJP leaders had submitted before the Jharkhand High Court that their “ peaceful rally” was blocked and forces used by the Soren government run police.
Since the police failed to substantiate their claim that the accused BJP leaders and workers had violated law and order and prohibitory order, the court deemed it fit to quash the April 12,2023 FIR.
