Jamshedpur remains tense after violence over lynching of seven persons

Ranchi/Jamshedpur: The situation in Jamshedpur was tense but under control on Sunday, a day after it saw large-scale protests over the lynching of seven persons, including four Muslims, suspected of being child-lifters. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed in two areas of Jamshedpur, while additional security force personnel have been deployed, authorities said. “The situation is under control. Section 144 has been imposed in two areas of Jamshedpur. The Rapid Action Force and additional forces have been deployed,” Asish Batra, IG Jharkhand Police, who is camping in Jamshedpur told IANS. Rumours of ‘bacha chor’ or child lifters has claimed several lives in the state over the past fortnight, with maximum number of deaths being reported from Jamshedpur region followed by Bokaro and Dhanbad districts. [caption id=“attachment_3464568” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] RAF dispersing protesters in Jamshedpur on Saturday. PTI[/caption] The Muslim community members, protesting the killing of four of their community members, staged agitations at several places in Jamshedpur on Saturday. The protest turned violent in which several policemen were injured. Police had to resort to lathi-charge, and used tear shells and fired in the air. In the last two months, irate village mobs attacked men on the suspicion of being child lifters, in which several persons lost their lives while many others sustained serious injuries. On Thursday, separate incidents of violence in Raj Nagar village of Seraikela-Kharsawa district and Bagbera Police Station area of East Singhbhum districts claimed the lives of seven persons suspected of being child lifters. One man was also killed in Bokaro. The Jharkhand government has already announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each of the victims. Last week, three persons were killed on the same charges in Seraikela-Kharsawa district. Of the 11 people killed in Jamshedpur and Seraikela-Kharswa district four were from the Muslim community and rest were Hindus. Jharkhand Police has appealed to people not to heed rumours and also brought out advertisements in local dailies asking people to approach the police in case of such rumours, which were being spread through WhatsApp groups. According to the WhatsApp rumours, child lifter gangs are abducting children for kidney transplants. The Muslim community members allege that animal traders were being targeted and killed in Seraikela-Kharswa district, but the district administration refuted the charge.