Ranchi, July 1: In response to the high-profile Double Down pub and bar murder case in Jamshedpur, the Jharkhand government has made significant changes to its police administration. New police chiefs have been appointed for the East Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharsawan districts.
According to a notification issued by the Home, Prison, and Disaster Management Department on Wednesday, IPS officer Ehtesham Waqareeb from the 2015 batch has been appointed as the SSP of East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur), while 2018 batch IPS officer Manoj Swargiyari has been designated as the SP of Saraikela-Kharsawan. Prior to this, Waqareeb served as the Superintendent of Police in the CID, and Swargiyari was the Commandant of the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP-3).
These appointments are effective immediately. Just a day earlier, Chief Minister Hemant Soren removed the then SSP of East Singhbhum, Piyush Pandey, and SP of Saraikela-Kharsawan, Nidhi Dwivedi, citing their failure to maintain law and order and effectively control criminal activities. Both officers have been reassigned to the police headquarters.
The Chief Minister announced this action on the social media platform ‘X’, stating that public safety is the government’s top priority and that strict action will be taken against criminals. He also instructed senior officials in the Kolhan division to camp and review law and order daily, and directed the DIG of Jamshedpur to remain in the city for monitoring purposes.
This administrative action follows a deadly attack on Himanshu Singh, a youth leader of the Karni Sena, outside the Double Down pub and bar in Bistupur on the night of June 27. According to police, the attack occurred after a dispute arose in response to alleged harassment. Reports indicate that Singh and his companions were pulled out from near a police PCR van and attacked with sharp weapons. Singh succumbed to his injuries on June 29. Following the incident, the Bistupur police station in-charge and three other officers have been suspended. The Double Down pub and bar has been sealed, and an FIR has been filed against several individuals, including the bar operator, with investigations ongoing.
Leave a Comment