Massive protests in Ranchi over shopkeeper’s murder; markets shut, roads blocked
Ranchi: Hundreds of people took to the streets on Friday in Ranchi to protest against the brutal murder of a shopkeeper in the Pandra area.
Demonstrators in Pandra, Ratu, and other areas of the city have shut shops and blocked roads, burning tyres and raising slogans against the police and the administration, demanding immediate action against the perpetrators.
The protests erupted after Bhupal Sahu, a shoe shop owner near ‘Ravi Steel’ in the Pandra OP area, was killed in a horrifying attack on Thursday evening.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants posed as customers before overpowering Sahu and slitting his throat with a sharp weapon.
The attack took place despite the presence of a large gathering at a nearby satsang program, raising concerns about the audacity of criminals operating in the city.
Sahu was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
As of now, the motive behind the murder is not known, and no breakthrough has been made in identifying the attackers.
Sahu was known to be associated with the AJSU Party, intensifying political reactions to the crime.
His killing has sent shockwaves through the community, further fuelling resentment over what residents describe as a deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state.
The incident follows another high-profile murder in the city.
On Thursday, multiple political parties, including the BJP, AJSU, and Jharkhand Loktantrik Kranti Morcha, had called for a Ranchi bandh to protest the killing of BJP leader Anil Tiger at Kanke Chowk.
Protesters say that the rising crime rate has emboldened criminals, who no longer fear the police or the administration.
Meanwhile, police and administrative officials are making efforts to pacify the demonstrators and clear the blockades.
Authorities have assured swift action to apprehend the culprits.