A police team that went to remove road barricades at a village in Khunti district was detained overnight on Thursday as angry residents got into fisticuffs with the force. The situation improved on Friday morning after the residents of Kalki Siladon village made some demands and the police assured them that proper action would be taken.
Police sources said the residents of Kalki Siladon had erected bamboo barricades on a village road for night time security from outsiders but the barricades were blocking access to other villages. The police came to know about the barricades and sent a team, led by DSP Ranbir Singh, at 10 pm.
When the police team removed the barricades, the villagers became angry. It led to a clash and rapidly the policemen found they were outnumbered. Khunti SP Ashwani Kumar Sinha reached the spot but the villagers refused to release the police team. Next morning, deputy commissioner Manish Ranjan and deputy inspector-general (Ranchi) Amol V Homkar reached the village. Ranjan spoke to the villagers after which the police officers were released. “The situation is now clear,” said Ranjan.
