Hazaribagh: Massive public outrage gripped Hazaribagh on Monday as residents and BJP supporters enforced a district-wide bandh to protest the brutal rape and murder of a minor girl in Kusumbha village. The strike significantly disrupted normal life, closing markets and bringing protesters to the streets to demand immediate justice.
Widespread Impact of the Bandh Protesters marched through Hazaribagh city and the Vishnugarh block headquarters, forcing the closure of shops and commercial establishments. Hundreds of participants—including Hazaribagh MP Manish Jaiswal, Barhi MLA Manoj Kumar Yadav, and BJP District President Vivekananda Singh—led the demonstrations.
Markets in Jhumra, Saat Mile, and the Vishnugarh police station area remained completely shut as residents spontaneously joined the protest.
Political and Legal Pressure Demonstrators accused the police of failing to arrest the main culprits six days after the crime, citing the delay as evidence of a “deteriorating law-and-order situation.” MP Manish Jaiswal criticized the state government’s “baffling silence,” alleging that officials had failed to offer even basic sympathy to the grieving family.
The protest follows a significant move by the Jharkhand High Court, which took suo motu cognisance of the case earlier today. The court issued notices to the State Home Secretary and the DGP, labeling the lack of arrests a “matter of serious concern.”
Investigation Status The victim disappeared last Tuesday evening while watching a Ram Navami procession; searchers discovered her mutilated body in nearby bushes the following morning. While DGP Tadasha Mishra has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), police have yet to make an arrest.
The Hazaribagh SP assured the High Court during virtual proceedings that the SIT would identify and apprehend the accused soon. Meanwhile, the administration has deployed heavy police forces across the district to maintain order.
