Life in Ranchi and its neighbouring districts came to a halt on Sunday following the bandh called to protest against the killing of 18 persons, including the son of former chief minister Babulal Marandi, in Chilkhari village in Giridih district on Friday night.Stray incidents of stone throwing were reported from Ranchi as protesters took out processions and held dharnas on railway tracks, shouting anti-government slogans.Till late afternoon, a total of 25 persons had been taken into custody for disturbing peace. They were released by evening. Police were deployed across the city to maintain law and order. “There was no major incident of violence,” said Ranchi SSP M S Bhatia.The bandh was nearly total as markets and cinema halls remained shut in the state capital. The bandh, called by the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, was backed by several social bodies, including the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FJCCI).Several trains were stopped at Dhanbad station after activists blocked the tracks. “The tracks were cleared and traffic was restored by afternoon,” said Railway Manager Pradeep Singh.Deepak Prakash, secretary of the JVM, described the bandh as successful. “This shows people have lost faith in the state Government and we demand immediate imposition of the President’s Rule,” he said.
