Palamu- Several villagers and two police personnel were injured on Thursday after tensions over the construction of National Highway-39 turned violent in the Chiyanki area of Jharkhand’s Palamu district, officials said.
The incident took place near the Forest Department check-post under the Sadar police station limits, where a team from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had reached with earthmoving machinery to remove alleged encroachments for the highway expansion project.
According to officials, local residents opposed the demolition drive, insisting that compensation be paid before their houses were removed. The disagreement quickly escalated into a confrontation between villagers and the administration.
Eyewitnesses said the protest turned violent when some villagers allegedly began pelting stones at officials and police personnel. In response, police resorted to a baton charge to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Among the injured police personnel, Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) constable Rajmohan Singh suffered a serious head injury, while assistant woman constable Priya Kumari sustained injuries to her leg. Several villagers were also hurt during the clash. All the injured were admitted to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) for treatment.
Anticipating possible unrest, the district administration had already imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the area ahead of the construction work. Despite the restrictions, a large number of villagers gathered at the site to protest.
Following the violence, additional police forces were deployed in the area. Senior officials, including Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer Sanjay Pandey, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rajesh Yadav, and Sadar police station in-charge Afzal Ansari, remained at the spot to monitor the situation.
The clash also briefly disrupted traffic on the highway before normal movement was restored. Officials said the situation is now under control, and an investigation into the incident is underway.
With inputs from IANS