Pellet Gun Warning: Ranchi Police Prepares For Student Assembly Gherao

 Students plan to march to the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday after talks with the Hemant Soren government ended without a breakthrough on Sunday.  Ranchi Police are preparing for a planned 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' by JPSC-JSSC aspirants scheduled for Monday. Today marks the 17th day of student protests in Ranchi over alleged recruitment exam irregularities. The deadlock centres on the students' demand for a CBI probe into the JSSC-CGL exam, which the government has rejected.

Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said the police would effectively deploy precautionary force as a large number of students are expected to participate.

"Precautionary force deployment will be carried out effectively; the Ranchi Police is fully prepared. There will be a large number of students. Instructions have been issued to all Ranchi Police personnel that if the protesters conduct themselves peacefully, no inconvenience will be done to anyone. However, if anyone attempts to resort to violence, appropriate legal action will be taken against them..." Rana told ANI.

A viral video showing security personnel carrying what appeared to be a pellet gun had sparked concern among the student protesters.

"If a pellet gun is being carried, it is strictly for emergency situations. Regarding the viral video—what is being mistaken for a pellet gun is actually a paintball gun; it fires soft, colored balls used to mark and identify troublemakers. It is not a pellet gun..." Rana said.

"Even after three rounds of talks, the government has not conceded to 100 per cent of our demands. Regarding the march to the Legislative Assembly scheduled for Monday, aspirants and our fellow supporters from all districts of Jharkhand extend their moral support. We will march in large numbers from the old Assembly building to the new one, conducting this as a completely peaceful march," student leader Sanjay Mehta said.

The agitators want the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination scrapped. They also demand a CBI investigation into the suspected anomalies, the adoption of their student-designed testing reforms and strict adherence to their proposed hiring schedule, Mehta said.

"If the government fails to meet even a single one of these demands, the movement will continue until they are fulfilled," he said.

Leaders demanded absolute discipline. They instructed demonstrators to march collectively to the Assembly without blocking traffic, avoid clashes with security forces and report any signs of unrest. They also advised the crowd to ignore unverified rumours and maintain their peaceful agitation.

Strikers Vow Continued Protest

Six students are on an indefinite hunger strike in Ranchi. Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for eight days, urged students and parents across Jharkhand to join the planned Assembly march on Monday, calling August 10 a very important day for the state.

"Students have been troubled by paper leaks in every examination, and we are fighting against this," Mahto said. He added that he had lost 10 kg, suffered a drop in blood sugar and was in severe pain. "But the pain of seeing question papers being leaked and students being denied jobs is greater than this physical pain."

Mahto called Monday a decisive day. He urged supporters to gather at 10.30 am at the Old Assembly Ground before heading toward the Assembly. Despite official restrictions, they must remain peaceful and law-abiding, Mahto added.

"Our student delegation has held two rounds of talks with the government. To a large extent, our movement has received a positive response, but it is not sufficient. Complete reforms are necessary," Mahto said.

Students have rejected the government's claim that it has accepted 98 per cent of their demands, saying the assertion does not reflect the outcome of the negotiations. They alleged that the government had agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations whose cancellation they had sought.

"The Jharkhand government is spreading lies that it fulfilled 98 per cent of our demands. It cancelled only three of the 13 exams sought by us," a student leader said.

A government panel met Mahto on Sunday as his health deteriorated, urging him to end his fast.

State Proposes Reform Measures

The JMM-led government maintained that it had agreed to most of the students' demands and urged them to withdraw the agitation and continue negotiations.

"It is unfortunate that students are not ready to withdraw the agitation, though we agreed to most of their demands. There is no intention to save any culprit involved in exam irregularities," Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar, a member of the government panel, said.

The government stated it had agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC examination and proposed an Enforcement Directorate probe into alleged financial irregularities in the JPSC examination. It also announced a fast-track court mechanism under which charge sheets in cases related to examination irregularities would be filed within 90 days.

The state proposed new reform measures. An expert panel featuring representatives from IIT-ISM Dhanbad, IIM Ranchi and XLRI Jamshedpur will oversee these changes. A retired High Court judge will lead a separate committee to investigate the JSSC-CGL issue.

Officials also launched an online portal to collect student feedback on testing systems. The administration stated it would establish a standard operating protocol to boost transparency in future hiring exams.

The government, however, has rejected the demand for a CBI probe into the JSSC-CGL examination, arguing that the examination was conducted under the monitoring of the High Court and the Supreme Court.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren promised strict action. Those behind the exam irregularities will face consequences, and students will get transparent justice, Soren said. He also warned them against letting political interests hijack their movement.

Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar urged the protesters to resolve the dispute through talks. The government remains open to discussions as authorities do not want to hurt the future of the students, Gangwar said.

JPSC Resignations Amid Probe

Meditating on the protests and allegations, three JPSC members resigned on Sunday. Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar accepted the resignations of Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmad, according to a statement issued by the Lok Bhavan.

The resignations came after the Jharkhand CID summoned all three members for questioning in connection with allegations including paper leaks. Bhattacharya, the wife of JMM leader Supriyo Bhattacharyya, is scheduled to be questioned on August 10, Ahmad on August 12 and Hansda on August 14.

JPSC chairman L Khiangte had resigned on July 22. Police stated 19 people have so far been arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in JPSC examinations. The CID questioned Khiangte four times since July 28, including for nine hours on July 28 and for eight hours each on July 29 and July 31. He resigned a day before the CID searched multiple locations, including his official residence, in connection with the alleged irregularities. Khiangte said he had "voluntarily chosen to resign" to ensure an impartial investigation.

The JPSC had earlier postponed the Combined Civil Services Mains Examination, scheduled from July 25 to July 27, citing unavoidable circumstances amid the protests.

Security Tightened Across Ranchi

Ranchi police are on high alert. Authorities banned large gatherings near the Assembly building ahead of the Monday march to prevent potential violence. Police officers urged demonstrators to maintain the peaceful conduct they showed over the last two weeks.

"It is their responsibility to ensure that anti-social elements and troublemakers are prevented from joining the march," Additional Director General of Police Manoj Kaushik said.

"We do not want a blot on the career of any student due to disruption of law and order. Barricades have been put in place at major points with the deployment of an adequate police force across the city," Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan said.

The police have imposed a prohibitory order within a 750-metre radius of the Vidhan Sabha building from August 6 to August 12, which will remain in force between 6 am and 10 pm. A similar prohibitory order was imposed from Sunday midnight in Jamshedpur in view of the protest march planned in Ranchi.

Local authorities urged students to remain peaceful. The Ranchi district administration warned against violence and unlawful acts during the rally, while the government stated that extensive security measures would prevent any harassment of demonstrators. Most schools will shut on Monday. Meanwhile, protesters said police are blocking hundreds of students travelling from other districts to Ranchi.