Jharkhand Bandh on Saturday: Tribal Groups Demand Soma Munda Murder Accused Arrest

Ranchi: Various tribal organisations have called for Jharkhand bandh on Saturday to demand the arrest of the key accused of the case related to murder of their traditional leader Soma Munda in Khunti district on January 7.The organisations took out torchlight rallies at several places in the state, including Khunti, in support of the bandh. Many schools in the city have declared holidays in the wake of the bandh call. Some of the schools included Chiranjeevi Concept school, Hill Top, Oxford Public School among others.The Adaivasi Samanvaya Samiti organized a procession from the Karam Akhada to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk in Khunti district shouting slogans for immediate arrest of the main accused persons and a CBI inquiry into the incident. Convener of the Samiti Marshal Barla stated, “Around 35 tribal organisations from across the state have supported our call. The essential services like supply of milk, ambulance, medicine shops are exempted from the bandh.”It may be stated here tribal bodies had on Jan 8 observed a Khunti bandh to protest Soma’s murder. State convenor of Adivasi Adhikar Manch Sukhnnath Lohra said that his organisation would also support the bandh call, adding that road blockades would be put up at several places in Ranchi city.