Jharkhand HC to hear plea seeking NIA probe in Ranchi violence today

Jharkhand High Court will hear the plea seeking a NIA probe into the June 10 violence that had erupted in Ranchi on Friday.

Jharkhand High Court will hear the plea filed by RTI activist Pankaj Yadav on Friday seeking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the June 10 violence that had erupted in Ranchi against the remarks made by the suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on the Prophet Muhammad.

Yadav’s request for an early hearing was admitted by the Jharkhand High Court and the matter has been listed for today.

His lawyer Rajiv Kumar has also filed a supplementary in connection with the PIL where he raised concerns about the seriousness of SIT probing the matter.

The petitioner has stated that when Senior Superintendent of Police Ranchi S K Jha displayed the poster with details of rioters and trouble makers on the directives of Governor Ramesh Bais, he was issued a show cause by the Principal secretary home Rajiv Arun Ekka. "When the state government itself is applying breaks in the investigation, the petitioner doubts how the culprits will be booked and the case will reach to its logical end," the petition stated.

Another fact brought forward by the petitioner was about Nawab Chisty, the mastermind behind the violence. He is reportedly the kingpin who formed a group named ‘gangs of wassyepur’ to mobilise the crowd on June 10th. “His picture is going viral and his snaps clicked with MLA , and the cabinet minister establishes his proximity and connection in the corridor of power,” the petition states.

Jharkhand Police on Monday had released images of alleged rioters who were part of violent Ranchi protests against Nupur Sharma's Prophet remarks. As many as 18 people have been identified by the police so far.

Meanwhile, as many as two people were killed and more than two dozen were critically injured when protests and clashes rocked the city after the Friday prayers. FIRs have been filed against over 10,000 unnamed people.