SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 1: Police had to resort to a mild lathi charge on an angry mob that had surrounded the Bank More police station and blocked the main road, demanding the handover of a murder accused on Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier in the morning, police recovered the body of a young man, identified as Ravi Kumar Ray, from a drainage canal in Vikash Nagar under the jurisdiction of Bank More police station. Based on CCTV footage, the police promptly arrested Akash Kumar in connection with the case and brought him to the station for questioning.
As news of Ravi Kumar’s death spread, a large number of Vikash Nagar residents gathered at the Bank More police station, demanding that Akash Kumar be handed over to them. To increase pressure on the police, the mob set tyres on fire on the main road, blocking traffic on the busy Dhanbad-Bokaro and Dhanbad-Sindri routes.
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The roadblock caused severe traffic disruptions, especially due to the ongoing New Year celebrations. Initially, police tried to calm the mob. However, when some women from the crowd blocked the police station gate, the police used a mild lathi charge to disperse them.
Inspector Lov Kumar of the Bank More police station, however, denied the use of a lathi charge. He stated that the mob was cleared as they had obstructed the movement of police vehicles.
The victim’s mother, Vibha Devi, said her son had been working with coal trader Pappu Mandal. He had gone out for work on Tuesday but did not return home that night. His mobile phone was also found switched off.
Inspector Lov Kumar further stated that the arrested suspect, Akash Kumar, a resident of Manaitand, is currently being interrogated. A personal dispute appears to be the motive behind the murder.
