Chatra Blockage: Mass Protests Enter Day 2 After Speeding Coal Truck Kills CRPF Jawan

Chatra: Furious residents have brought parts of Jharkhand’s Chatra district to a complete standstill. A massive road blockade entered its second consecutive day on Friday, cutting off major transport arteries following the death of a 28-year-old CRPF jawan.

The intense agitation has completely paralyzed traffic on the Chatra-Hazaribagh and Chatra-Tandwa-Ranchi main highways. Hundreds of vehicles, including commercial trucks and passenger buses, remain stranded in long queues along both routes.

How the Tragedy Unfolded

The crisis began on Thursday evening near Delho Valley within the Simaria police station jurisdiction. A speeding, coal-laden truck struck CRPF jawan Lakshman Kumar Yadav while he was riding his motorcycle.

First responders rushed Yadav to the Simaria Referral Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, doctors referred him to specialized facilities in Hazaribagh and Ranchi. Tragically, Yadav succumbed to his severe injuries while en route to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

Yadav, a proud resident of Birajpur village in the Chatra Sadar area, was actively deployed with the CRPF in Jammu and Kashmir. He had returned to his hometown just a week prior to enjoy a month-long leave with his family.

Following the collision, the truck driver abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene. While police have officially seized the truck, the driver remains at large.

Public Rage Boils Over Against Coal Giants

Grief quickly turned to fury. Family members and neighbors placed Yadav’s body across the highway on Thursday evening to initiate the blockade. Protesters said that hundreds of heavily overloaded coal trucks barrel through local villages daily without regulation. They accuse mining giants and administration officials of prioritizing coal over human lives.

Local political heavyweights have also joined the agitation:

• Satyanand Bhokta (RJD Leader & Former Labour Minister): Accused CCL and NTPC of blatantly disregarding public safety. “They are transporting Hazaribagh’s coal through Chatra at the literal cost of local residents’ lives,” Bhokta alleged.
• Manoj Chandra (Former JMM Candidate): Echoed the public resentment, asserting that the blockade will not lift until the government bans coal transport on this specific route and implements permanent safety measures.