Ranchi: The 12-hour statewide bandh sponsored by the Jharkhand Disom Party (JDP) began on September 24 morning amidst heavy security bandobast with police rounding up 30 members of the JDP, including its founder members, Salkhan Murmu and his wife Sumitra Murmu.

The JDP supporters were detained while they were trying to enforce the bandh in Jamshedpur. They are now lodged at Kadma police station in the steel city, the officer in- charge of the police station said.

DGP control room sources said except one or two roadblock incidents, the bandh was peaceful in the state capital. Bandh supporters blocked roads at Bundu and Dhurwa areas.

Some unidentified persons set afire a banana-laden lorry near Harmu. The driver and his helper however, escaped unhurt.

The bandh, the fifth in two months, has been called by the JDP in support of the domicile policy seeking 90 per cent reservation in employment and education.

The anti-domicile and anti-reservation group, the Chatra-Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, and all political parties in Jharkhand have termed the bandh ‘illegal’, as the matter is sub-judice.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made, especially in Ranchi and Jamshedpur, with police personnel being deployed at every sensitive point.

The authorities have already enforced 144 Criminal Penal Code (CrPC) since 06:00 hours (IST) on September 23 in Ranchi and other areas in the state.

According to police, sensitive places in Ranchi are Argora, Harmu housing colony, Dhurwa, Mecon Dibidi, Circuit House area, Adarsh Nagar and Nagababa Khatal. These places witnessed large-scale violence on the July 24 bandh called by pro-domicile group, which had claimed five lives.

PTI