Administrative and police officers at Hatia Bazaar in Ranchi. Picture by Ashok Karan

Ranchi, Nov. 4: The situation remained tense in Hatia and its adjoining areas for the second day today after five mutilated bodies were recovered from a riverside area at Oberia village under Jagannathpur police station last evening.

Swinging into action, the government recalled Ranchi senior superintendent of police R.K. Mallick and Hatia deputy superintendent of police Shambhu Thakur to the headquarters and suspended Jagannathpur police station officer-in-charge Ranjan Choudhary late last night. Today, Naresh Prasad Singh, commandant of 6th Jharkhand Armed Police, took charge as the city senior superintendent of police.

Majority of schools and business establishments remained closed apprehending further untoward incident. Roads, too, wore a deserted look due to blockades near Kachnar Toli, Hatia Chowk and Dashmile Chowk.

The district administration had, however, made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order in the area. Personnel of Rapid Armed Police and Special Task Force were deployed. Officials held a meeting with agitating residents.

The incident did not take a communal colour as apprehended. People cutting across caste, creed and religion saw it as an act of “revenge” by criminals. An FIR is yet to be registered. The police have sent the bodies for post-mortem.

Meanwhile, Union minister of state for food processing Subodh Kant Sahay reached the spot this afternoon along with several other leaders, including JJP minority cell president Jalil Ansari and state LJP general secretary Mazoor Ali Ansari.

A compensation of Rs 15,000 — Rs 10,000 from the district administration had Rs 5,000 from Sahay — was given to the families of the deceased. The state government has also annoounced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh.

Pat for Koda

The AICC central observer for Koderma bypoll, Kripa Shankar Singh, today lauded the action taken by the Madhu Koda government in the wake of the Hatia violence. Justifying the action taken against the police officials, Singh said Koda was fit to fight the new challenges that lie ahead.