Dhanbad: Baghmara BJP MLA Dhullu Mahto and Dhanbad MP P N Singh took part in two different dharnas at Katras and Dhanbad district headquarters, respectively. While the Baghmara MLA carried out a protest condemning the bomb attack on the house of one of his relatives in Katras, Singh protested against the alleged deterioration of the law-and-order situation.
Notably, CCTV footage found by police showed that two unidentified bike-borne miscreants hurled a bomb outside the house of Dhullu Mahto’s relative Rajesh Gupta, who is a coal trader. Mahto charged the former water resources minister of Jharkhand, Jaleshwar Mahto, of organizing the attack. He also alleged that politicians are patronizing criminals after the change of guard in the state.
Mahto protested outside the Katras police station and he withdrew his dharna only after Baghmara DSP Nitin Khadelwal assured him of arresting the culprits within three days.
Notably, Mahto himself is facing over a dozen criminal cases — including extortion, physical assault and sexual harassment. After remaining underground for many months, he had surrendered in May this year in connection to a sexual assault case and is out on bail.
Mahto’s party colleague, P N Singh, levelled similar charges at a dharna organized under the leadership of district BJP president Chandrashekhar Singh. He said that the state government has failed to control crime against women and claimed that incidents of rape have increased under the present dispensation.
Meanwhile, a joint team of district administration and police conducted raids at Dhanbad divisional jail on Sunday afternoon but could recover only small amounts of tobacco. Dhanbad City SP R Ramkumar termed the raid as routine.