Youth's murder triggers massive protest in Jharkhand's Bokaro, highway blocked for hours

Bokaro, April 30 (IANS) Tension prevailed in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district on Wednesday after a 25-year-old youth was found brutally murdered in a forested area near Pichhri village, officials said.

The incident sparked outrage, with locals blocking the Jainamore-Fusro National Highway for several hours to demand swift action.

Vipul Mishra, a resident of Mishra Tola in Pichhri and the son of Gulchand Kumar Mishra, had left home around 7 p.m. on Tuesday after receiving a call from a friend.

According to his family, when he didn’t return home late into the night, they began searching for him. At around 11 p.m., villagers spotted his body lying in the Biroh Tand forest and immediately informed the police.

There were multiple injury marks on Mishra’s body, indicating that he was attacked with a sharp weapon.

A forensic team later recovered liquor bottles and other items from the scene, suggesting the presence of others at the spot before the murder.

The killing sent shockwaves through the village. Early Wednesday morning, Mishra’s family and local residents took to the streets in protest, alleging police inaction and rising lawlessness in the area.

They blocked the Jainamore-Fusro NH, demanding that the Superintendent of Police visit the site and ensure strict action against the culprits.

Protesters claimed that this was not the first such incident in Pichhri, and that several murders in recent years had gone unsolved, eroding public trust in law enforcement.

Petarwar police station in-charge Raju Munda said that a person, identified as Raj Saav, a resident of the same village, has been taken into custody based on preliminary suspicion.

The police are also searching for three of Mishra’s friends, who have been named by the family as possible suspects.

A dog squad has been deployed to assist in the investigation.

Mishra’s body has been sent to the Tenughat sub-divisional hospital for post-mortem examination.

The highway blockade continued until around 1.30 p.m., causing long queues of vehicles on both sides and disrupting traffic movement in the region. Heavy police deployment was seen at the protest site to prevent any escalation.

The police have assured a thorough investigation and said that efforts are underway to identify and apprehend all those involved.

--IANS

snc/skp/vd