Jharkhand Police clashes with Pathalgarhi supporters blocking their entry to village of Khunti rape accused

Khunti: Police on Wednesday fired tear gas shells and used batons to disperse a mob obstructing their search operation to rescue three policemen, who were abducted from an MP’s house in Khunti district by ‘Pathalgarhi’ supporters, a police officer said. The three were abducted from BJP MP Karia Munda’s residence at Anigada-Chandih on Tuesday, the officer said, adding, the policemen were yet to be found. Police used batons to disperse the mob at Ghaghra during the search operation related to the kidnapping of three policemen, Superintendent of Police of Khunti district, Aswini Kumar Sinha, said. [caption id=“attachment_4509885” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. News18[/caption] The police and the district administration tried to convince the villagers at Ghaghra village to set the constables free and swung into action when they refused to do so, Additional Director General of Police, RK Malik, said. He said action is on and those indulging in such activities in the name of ‘Pathalgarhi’, would be dealt with as per the law. Malik said people tried to obstruct the police on Tuesday from executing an arrest warrant against, Yusuf Purti, the main accused in ‘Pathalgarhi’. He managed to flee but his property has been attached, Malik added. Heavy police force was deployed and the SP of Khunti and Deputy Commissioner Suraj Kumar are present at the spot, a police officer said. Three policemen deployed at the house of BJP MP Karia Munda were abducted on Tuesday by supporters of ‘Pathalgarhi’ in Khunti district, a senior police officer said. Malik had on Tuesday said that supporters of ‘Pathalgarhi’ barged into the house of the Lok Sabha MP at Anigada-Chandidih and took away the three policemen and their weapons in the afternoon. The MP was not present at the house during the incident, he had said. The police had on Tuesday taken action against some ‘Pathalgarhi’ leaders in Khunti district by attaching their properties. ‘Pathalgarhi’ is reportedly a practice in which villagers inscribe various tenets on huge stone slabs and ban outsiders in their area.