Ranchi, Aug 29 (IANS) A delegation of the Jharkhand BJP led by state party president Babulal Marandi on Friday met Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar, demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged fake encounter of tribal activist Surya Hansda in Godda.
The BJP also urged the Governor to ask the government to immediately halt land acquisition for the proposed RIMS-II medical college in Ranchi.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, the BJP alleged that Surya Hansda, a socio-political activist from Godda, was killed in a fake encounter by the police on August 11.
According to the party, Hansda was picked up from his home in Deoghar on August 10, but the police later claimed he was killed in an encounter in Mahagama, Godda, the following day.
The memorandum pointed out that Hansda, who had 24 cases lodged against him, had been acquitted in 14, and no court had ever declared him a criminal.
His family claimed he was unwell, had recently undergone treatment, and was neither medically examined nor produced before a court after being taken into custody.
The BJP alleged that his killing was the result of a police-politics nexus and linked to his activism against illegal mining.
The party demanded that the Governor order a CBI inquiry, provide security to Hansda’s family and their lawyer, and ensure justice in the matter.
The delegation also raised the issue of farmers’ land in Nagdi, Ranchi, where the government has begun acquisition for the proposed RIMS-II hospital. The BJP alleged that fertile agricultural land belonging to Raiyat farmers was taken without proper consent or compensation, in violation of rules.
The party further accused the government of using lathi charge and tear gas on protesting farmers on August 24, terming it an “attack on tribal identity and farmer interests.”
While clarifying that it does not oppose the hospital project, the BJP said the government should build it on barren or alternative land instead of prime farmland.
The party also demanded the withdrawal of police cases against the farmers and a halt to the acquisition process.
The delegation included senior BJP leaders, among them MP Aditya Prasad Sahu and MLAs C.P. Singh and Naveen Jaiswal.
–IANS
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