Jharkhand cops go on five days’ leave with arms

The five-day agitation called by the Jharkhand Police Men’s Association (JPMA) from midnight yesterday has created quite a stir in the state capital even as the state government threatened to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act.

Nearly 30,000 constables have taken five days’ leave en masse in support of their demands, which include promotion, free education for their children and free housing, JPMA secretary Ram Chandra Pandey said. ‘‘I am going to Poraiyahat to ensure that no police constable attends duty on polling day (February 26),’’ he adds.

The state government has declared their agitation ‘‘illegal’’ and Home Secretary J.B. Tubid has threatened to invoke ESMA against the agitating policemen.