Ranchi, Oct. 18: A delegation of the Jharkhand Police Association (JPA) today met senior officials at the state police headquarters in Project Building to demand that the case of murder against Chainpur police station officer in-charge Pramod Kumar for the alleged encounter death of a People?s War commander Ajay Yadav be unconditionally withdrawn.

Sources, however, said there were little chances of that happening as it has been filed on the directions of the chief minister and the director-general of police. Top police officials made it clear that there was no question of withdrawing the case and that the investigation would be conducted according to the legal norms, sources added.

The body argued that the government?s decision has sparked widespread resentment in the police ranks. The move, they said, would demoralise the force and end up giving a fillip to Maoist outfits of the region. While the government directed the police headquarters to lodge a case of murder against Singh, 21 other policemen involved in the encounter have been withdrawn from the police station and posted at the police lines in Palamau.

?Many senior officials at the police headquarters are unhappy with the action against the Chainpur officer. From now on, police personnel would think twice before using a gun when attacked by the Naxalites,? JPA president Ram Kumar Singh said.

General secretary of the body also rallied behind policemen ?victimised? for taking on the Naxalite outfits in Palamau. ?We leave behind our family members, risk out our lives only to find cases lodged against us,? he added.

The case was lodged on the basis of a written complaint lodged by Suganti Devi, wife of the slain area commander. Suganti, in her complaint, which she also sent to the chief minister and the director-general of police, said Yadav was picked up from their house on October 8 and taken to the Chainpur jungles where he was killed in cold blood.