Jharkhand is witnessing sharp unrest after student organisations, protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), launched a march to lay siege to the state Assembly. The situation turned tense as protesters attempted to storm the Assembly and remove the heavy barricades set up to block their advance. Police responded by deploying water cannons to disperse the crowd. The siege drew large numbers of students and unemployed youth.
Amid the protests, police attempted to move student leader Devendra Nath Mahato — who has been on an indefinite hunger strike — away from the site in an ambulance, but protesters blocked the attempt. The demonstrators made clear to Chief Minister Hemant Soren that they would not withdraw unless a CBI investigation into the matter is announced, declaring they were prepared to continue even at the cost of their lives.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has stepped into the case, registering an ECIR under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and launching an investigation into alleged irregularities in JPSC examination scores.
The siege has also disrupted normal life in the state capital, with police shutting down major roads in Ranchi, leading to heavy traffic congestion across the city. Additional security forces have been deployed to strengthen the law-and-order response.