Two booked for murder, cattle smuggling after Jharkhand cop mowed down

The Jharkhand Police have added charges of cattle smuggling against two people booked for the murder of a woman sub-inspector, who was allegedly mowed down by a pick-up van on the outskirts of Ranchi a day before, officials said on Thursday.

Sub-inspector Sandhya Topno (a 2018-batch officer in her late 20s), who was on a night patrolling duty, tried to stop a vehicle that was being tracked from neighbouring Khunti district for checking when she was ran over by the Mahindra pick-up van around 3 am on Wednesday, police said.

The vehicle — which was being chased for alleged cattle smuggling by teams of Torpa police station in Khunti district and Basia police station in Gumla district — overturned near Sithiyo village in Ranchi, an hour after it mowed down the officer near Hulhundu village under Tupudana police station limits, a senior police officer said.

“The driver of the pick-up van, identified asNezar Khan (30), a resident of Sikidiri area in Ranchi, was arrested soon after the incident. Another person in the vehicle, identified as one Sajid from Khunti district is still on the run,” a senior police officer said, requesting anonymity.

“The two accused have also been booked under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code,” the officer added.

Charges under relevant sections of the Jharkhand Bovine Animals Protection Act, 2005 (which invites punishment up to 10 years), the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Bihar Promotion & Improvement of Animals Act, 1955 have been added against the accused, another police officer said.

On Wednesday, a first information report (FIR) was lodged at the Dhurwa police station based on a complaint registered by Russian Kerketta — the driver of the PCR van that was on night patrolling trying to intercept the pick-up van — alleging that at least half a dozen cattle were found in the pick-up van from the spot where it met with an accident, officials said.

In his complaint, Kerketa alleged that the van deliberately moved towards the police patrolling team and ran over sub-inspector Topno, who was declared brought dead at a hospital.

“More people could be involved as part of the cattle smuggling gang,” the senior officer quoted above said. “All angles are being covered as part of the investigation.”

Cattle slaughter is banned in Jharkhand since 2005. According to the state police data, around 870 cases of cattle smuggling have been registered across the state in the past two-and-a-half years, resulting in arrest of at least 1,600 accused.

“Between January 2020 and May 2022, 871 cases were registered across the state, leading to arrest of 1,643 smugglers. Among the 24 districts, maximum of 130 cases were registered in Hazaribagh. Ranchi district registered 65 cases during the period,” a senior official said.