Jharkhand villagers hold SP, 150 policemen hostage for 12 hours

Ranchi: Agitated over removal of barricades put up by them and police firing in the air to disperse them, angry villagers held Khunti district Superintendent of Police (SP) and 150 security personnel hostage through Thursday night.

Their release could only be secured on Friday morning after Khunti Deputy Commissioner and Ranchi range Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) reached the spot and pacified the angry villagers.

The problem began when a police team led by Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ranbeer Singh went to remove the barricade erected by the villagers at three villages -- Sodag, Randag and Sulhe -- on Thursday to protest over some local issue.

The local villagers equipped with traditional weapons surrounded the police force. The villagers got further incensed when policemen fired in the air.

Khunti SP Ashwani Kumar reached the site on Thursday night with around 150 security personnel. As Kumar reached, the villagers also surrounded him and the force. 

The SP and 150 security personnel remained in the villagers` captivity until the next morning. The security personnel avoided using any force to free those held captive. 

The DIG and the DC reached the spot on Friday morning and tried to talk it out with the villagers. Initially they were not ready to hear anything, but after repeated efforts, the officials pacified the villagers and they were allowed to leave the village.

"The villagers became angry when the barricades were removed by `outsiders`. They got further enraged as shots were fired in the air to scare them away," Amol B. Homkar, Ranchi range DIG, told reporters.