Ranchi, May 29: Jharkhand Police Association has asked DGP D.K. Pandey to immediately reinstate Bagbera and Rajnagar OCs, alleging they were being made scapegoats to protect senior officers in the aftermath of the May 18 mob murders that claimed seven lives.

In a letter to DGD today, the association said officers-in-charge A. Hussain (Bagbera) and Tuleshwar Prasad Khushwaha (Rajnagar) had done all that they could to pacify the angry mobs, but senior officials of the district administration failed to send them reinforcements on time.

"The SP and deputy commissioner happen to be captains of their districts. Why have they been spared? We demand a proper probe against them as well," association president Yogendra Singh told The Telegraph.

"The top brass of the two districts (Seraikela-Kharsawan and East Singhbhum) are out of the probe and attempts are being made to hold lower rung officials guilty for no fault of theirs," Singh added referring to the inquiry being conducted by Kolhan commissioner Pradip Kumar and DIG Prabhat Kumar.

Singh maintained that if no action was taken by the DGP to reinstate the two OCs, they would then approach chief minister Raghubar Das. "We shall decide the future course of action after the DGP's response," he said.

Asked what took them so long to come out in support of the OCs, Singh said they were trying to understand the situation. "We interacted with the OCs and other sources on the ground and found that they weren't at fault. Both the OCs were constantly updating their seniors (SP, subdivisional officer) about the situation and tried their best to pacify the crowd. But none of the senior officers rushed forces on time," he alleged, adding that the SPs ought to have rushed immediately.

Singh pointed out the two OCs were on ground zero, facing the people's ire and risking their lives. "In return, they were suspended. Agar unka jaan chala jata toh wo achche officer hote (Is it that they would be considered good officers only if they had been killed that day)?" he said.

Another association member cited the prompt action against then Seraikela-Kharsawan SP and DC after black flags were shown during the chief minister's visit in January. "But out here, people lost their lives and the government is trying to save the SPs and DCs. Doesn't this expose the government's dual nature?" he said.

Illegal slaughter

Ranchi police arrested a butcher from Pithoria, about 20km from the district headquarters, after local residents, led by Chandwe panchayat representative Rina Devi, alleged he was slaughtering animals illegally in the locality.

Officer-in-charge of Pithoria police station Chunua Oraon said Doman Khan (65) was arrested at 9.30am today with a blood stained knife after he had slaughtered an animal.

Police would not reveal what animal it was.

But, a policeman said he had skinned the dead animal. A portion of the flesh was sent for forensic testing, while the carcass was buried.

"We will get to know everything after forensic tests. But Khan will be booked under provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act," said Oraon.

The state government had, in March, banned illegal slaughterhouses, which has led a majority of meat and poultry shops to down shutters. Although Ranchi Municipal Corporation has come up with fresh rules, the process to issue licences has stopped pending a nod from the state urban development department.