Man stabbed at Jamshedpur bar for protesting eve-teasing dies

Three policemen were suspended for alleged negligence in connection with the incident, they said.

Jamshedpur: A man who was critically injured in a stabbing for protesting the alleged eve-teasing at a bar in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur died during treatment, triggering massive protests, police said on Tuesday.

Three policemen were suspended for alleged negligence in connection with the incident, they said.

The victim, identified as Himanshu Singh, was among two men who protested the eve-teasing at a bar in the Bistupur police station area on Saturday night, leading to a confrontation, they said.

After receiving information about the incident, police reached the spot and took the duo into their vehicle, they added.

The accused allegedly dragged the two men out of the police patrol vehicle before stabbing them. While Himanshu died on Monday evening, the other victim remains in critical condition at Tata Main Hospital, police said.

An FIR was registered against 10 people, including the bar owner, following the incident, they said.

In a statement, police said a probe conducted by the deputy superintendent of police, including an examination of CCTV footage, confirmed lapses on the part of the patrolling team.

The suspended personnel were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspectors Ratan Kumar Das and Rajesh Kumar Ranjan, and constable Manoj Kumar.

Soon after news of Himanshu’s death spread, hundreds of people staged a massive road blockade at the Bistupur roundabout, bringing traffic on one of Jamshedpur’s busiest thoroughfares to a standstill for more than six hours.

The protesters accused the police of inaction and alleged that the arrest of two accused was merely an eyewash, claiming that the main culprits were still at large. They demanded the immediate arrest of all those involved in the attack.

During the agitation, protesters burnt tyres and allegedly damaged the vehicle of SP (City) Lalit Meena, shattering one of its windowpanes when the officer reached the spot to persuade them to withdraw the blockade.

A heavy police force was deployed in and around the Bistupur roundabout to maintain law and order.

Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy held the police directly responsible for the attack.

In a post on social media, the JD(U) leader alleged that dragging two youths out of a police patrol vehicle and attacking them reflected a complete collapse of policing.

He demanded stringent action against the accused, including punishment under provisions carrying the death penalty.

Union minister Arjun Munda said the killing had shaken the entire state and raised serious concerns about the law-and-order situation.

“If criminals can fearlessly drag people out of a police vehicle and attack them, then what assurance of safety do ordinary citizens have?” Munda said in a social media post, calling for strict action against those responsible.