Jamshedpur on alert after Karni Sena leader's bar brawl death

The East Singhbhum district administration on Wednesday imposed prohibitory orders in several parts of Jamshedpur amid fears of fresh unrest over the killing of Karni Sena leader Himanshu Singh, whose family has refused to cremate his body until the accused are arrested.

The restrictions, imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), come as a 48-hour deadline set by Singh's family for the arrest of the alleged attackers expired on Wednesday, 1 July.

The BJP, meanwhile, threatened to enforce a citywide shutdown on Friday if the accused were not arrested immediately, alleging that crime had surged under the JMM-led government.

Singh (28) died on Monday after succumbing to injuries sustained during a stabbing following an altercation at a bar in Bistupur on Saturday night. According to police, the violence broke out after Singh and a friend allegedly confronted a group over an incident of eve-teasing.

The confrontation escalated into a scuffle, prompting police intervention. Singh and his friend were taken into a police patrol vehicle, but the accused allegedly dragged them out and stabbed them. Singh later died of his injuries, while his friend remains in a critical condition at a local hospital.

The victim's family has accused police personnel present at the scene of failing to prevent the attack and has demanded action against them in addition to the immediate arrest of those responsible. Despite repeated efforts by senior police officers to persuade the family, they have refused to perform the last rites. Singh's post-mortem examination was conducted late on Tuesday.

Citing intelligence inputs about possible demonstrations and road blockades, Dhalbhum sub-divisional officer Arnav Mishra imposed prohibitory orders in the police station areas of Sakchi, Bistupur, Sonari, Kadma, Mango and MGM.

In the notification, Mishra said the administration had received information about planned protests that could disrupt law and order. The restrictions will remain in force until further orders.

Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP leader Raghubar Das met Singh's family on Wednesday and accused the police of remaining "mute spectators" while Singh and his friend were attacked. Das alleged that the assailants stabbed the two men inside the police patrol vehicle and again after dragging them out, while police failed to rush them to hospital despite them lying injured for nearly half-an-hour.

He said a BJP delegation had submitted a memorandum to East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Rajeev Ranjan demanding that murder charges be filed against the police personnel present at the scene and that Singh's wife be given a government job.

Calling the JMM-led dispensation a "government of criminals and mafia", Das alleged that law and order had deteriorated in the state. He also demanded that the houses of the accused be bulldozed if they failed to surrender.

The killing triggered widespread protests on Monday night, with an irate mob, including Singh's family members, blocking a road in Bistupur for nearly six hours, severely disrupting traffic.

Late on Tuesday, chief minister Hemant Soren ordered the removal of East Singhbhum senior superintendent of police Piyush Pandey and Seraikela-Kharsawan superintendent of police Nidhi Dwivedi, citing their failure to curb criminal activities.

Four police personnel have already been suspended for alleged negligence in connection with the incident.

Responding to the BJP's criticism, JMM spokesperson Kunal Sarangi said the chief minister and the state's director-general of police were closely monitoring the situation and reiterated that the government had a zero-tolerance policy towards crime. He added that the government had assured Singh's family of all possible assistance.

With PTI inputs