Section 144 imposed in Ranchi ahead of ED’s questioning of CM Hemant Soren

A curfew under Section 144 CrPc has been imposed in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi besides the deployment of hundreds of policemen and diversion of traffic at strategic locations in the city ahead of the Enforcement Directorate’s questioning of chief minister Hemant Soren in an alleged land scam and other related cases on Wednesday afternoon, officials familiar with the matter said.

Ranchi Sadar SDO Utkarsh Kumar has imposed Section 144 in the city from 9am to 10pm on Wednesday upon receiving information about protests, processions and rallies by organisations and parties. The SDO said that such programmes create hindrances in government work. The important places where direction has been given to show no leniency in enforcement of Section 144 include a radius of 100 metres from the boundary wall of the chief minister’s residence, within a radius of 100 metres from the boundary wall of Raj Bhavan and within a radius of 100 metres from the office of the Enforcement Directorate, Doranda, Ranchi.

“Around 2,000 police personnel have been deployed. Around 1,500 have been deployed at strategic locations at different strategic locations across the city and road connecting ED office in Hinoo with CM residence on Kanke Road. Around 400 police personnel have been deputed on the road connecting Raj Bhawan with CM house,” an official at the city police control room said.

The officer said that the home department has formed a team of senior police officers to monitor law and order during the questioning of the CM as a large number of ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) workers are expected to come to Ranchi in case the ED arrests Soren.

“All senior officials have been asked to remain present in the district control room to keep an eye on the entire situation. The home department has directed South Chotanagpur commissioner and Ranchi Zonal IG, DIG of Ranchi Range to visit the chief minister’s secretariat from time to time and take stock of the situation and coordinate with the team stationed at the control room,” the official said.

According to traffic police, traffic has been diverted between Kanke Road Ram Mandir to LPN Shahdev Chowk (Hotlips Chowk) today. All vehicles going from Kanke Road to New Market will be able to reach their destination via Sido-Kanhu turn-ATI turn from Ram Mandir Chowk. Vehicles going from New Market Chowk to Kanke Road will go from Hotelips Chowk-ATI turn to their destination via Sido-Kanhu turn-Rammandir Kanke Road.