Jharkhand

Ranchi, Jharkhand: In a shocking incident during a wedding ceremony in Nagdri police station area, the bride’s brother, Sumit Soni, was kidnapped and a ransom of ₹20 lakh was demanded from his family. Acting swiftly on the alert, Ranchi police successfully rescued Sumit from the Jharkhand-Bihar border and arrested four suspects involved in the abduction. Kidnapping During Wedding ChaosOn the night of November 24, Vishwambar Prasad was busy celebrating his daughter’s wedding when around 2 AM, Sumit Soni called his family to inform them that he had been kidnapped. The call abruptly ended, creating panic in the family, who immediately reported the incident to Nagdri police. Police Track Down KidnappersUsing the support of the Cyber Technical Cell, Ranchi police traced the kidnappers’ lo...

Chaibasa, Jharkhand: The mysterious deaths of elephants in the Chaibasa forest area of West Singhbhum district have raised serious concerns for the forest department. On Tuesday, the carcass of another male elephant was discovered in the Sosopi forest. Remarkably, the elephant showed no external injuries, and its tusks were intact, leaving officials baffled. Third Elephant in Two WeeksWorryingly, this marks the third unexplained elephant death in less than two weeks in the Chaibasa forest division. The deceased male elephant, aged approximately 15–20 years, was found without any visible wounds. Smita Pankaj, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests, Kolhan Division, described the incident as a “mystery” and admitted that officials are anxious to determine the cause of death. Forensic In...

Chaibasa, Jharkhand: In a shocking incident in Lipunga village of West Singhbhum district, an elderly couple was brutally murdered with an iron rod, sparking fear and outrage in the community. The victims, 72-year-old Sargia Balmuchu and his 65-year-old wife Mukta Balmuchu, were found bloodied on a cot in their courtyard on Tuesday morning. Villagers, alarmed by the silence, discovered their lifeless bodies and informed the police immediately. Rumors of Witchcraft DebunkedInitially, rumors linking the killings to witchcraft or black magic circulated in the village, creating panic. However, Guva Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nitish Kumar dismissed such speculations. A detailed investigation revealed that the murder stemmed from a long-standing personal feud triggered by a seemingly mi...

Chaibasa, Jharkhand: The death of Maoist leader Madvi Hidma in a police encounter in Andhra Pradesh has triggered a wave of panic among Naxals in Jharkhand and Odisha, causing them to go into hiding. Following Hidma’s death, Maoists have reportedly sent letters to state governments appealing for surrender and rehabilitation, a development that has left the network in disarray. Naxal Operations Shrink to Saranda ForestActive Naxals in Jharkhand are now largely confined to the Saranda forests in West Singhbhum district. Hidma had attempted to establish a stronghold in Saranda, which had earlier raised concerns of increased Maoist activity in Jharkhand and Odisha. Intelligence reports from Odisha also suggested that several of Hidma’s associates had moved to Saranda via Sundergarh, further...

Giridih: The Giridih Police have cracked the case of a brutal truck robbery and murder in the Bagodar police jurisdiction, involving a truck loaded with TMT steel bars. Out of five accused involved in the incident, three have been arrested, while two remain at large, police confirmed. SDPO Dhananjay Ram provided the details on Monday. Planned Murder for Steel LootThe crime took place on 18 November. Truck driver Dheeraj Yadav, a resident of Khagaria, Bihar, was mercilessly killed in the Santarupi forest area. The perpetrators looted the truck loaded with TMT steel and fled. Two of Dheeraj’s acquaintances, Md. Jainul and Md. Dawood, had prior knowledge that Dheeraj regularly transported TMT steel from Bengal to Varanasi. They planned the robbery and murder and brought two friends from Sa...

Ranchi: In a significant breakthrough against drug trafficking, Ranchi Police have busted a major brown sugar gang, arresting eight people, including a woman. Authorities seized 202 grams of brown sugar, cannabis, and cash amounting to ₹2.4 lakh, with the street value of the narcotics estimated at ₹21.5 lakh. Arrested AccusedThe arrested individuals include Amit Kumar Gupta, Mukesh Kumar Yadav, Munna Yadav, Cheeku Yadav, Syed Sameer, Deepak Kumar, Raju Kumar, and Baby Parveen. Initial Raids Lead to Major SeizureAccording to Rural SP Praveen Pushkar, the police received a tip-off about drug trafficking near IICM Maidan, following which a raid was conducted and four individuals arrested with brown sugar and cannabis. Acting on their information, police raided the house of Syed Sameer i...

Hazaribagh/Ranchi: A distressing situation has emerged for five migrant workers from Jharkhand, who are currently stranded in Cameroon, Africa. The workers hail from Hazaribagh and Giridih districts and have not been paid for their labor, leaving them in severe hardship for food, shelter, and basic necessities. Identities of the Stranded WorkersThe stranded workers include Sunil Mahto, Sukar Mahto, Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Deelo Mahto from Vishnugarh (Unchaghna) in Hazaribagh, and Dilchand Mahto from Dumri in Giridih. Workers Claim Non-Payment of WagesAccording to the workers, the company they were employed with has failed to pay their wages. In a video message, the workers highlighted their plight and appealed to the Indian government for immediate repatriation. Social Activist See...

Ranchi: The path is now clear for holding pending elections in all 48 municipal corporations and municipal councils across Jharkhand. The State Election Commission (SEC) has begun preparations for elections that have been stalled for nearly three years. The official notification is expected to be issued in eight weeks. Timeline and ProcessThe SEC recently informed the High Court that at least eight weeks are required for election preparations. Once the notification is issued, the entire electoral process can be completed within 45 days. The High Court has directed the commission to adhere strictly to this timeline. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for 30 March 2026. Government Completes FormalitiesDuring the hearing on a contempt petition regarding the delay in municip...

Ranchi: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a fresh case against suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, who is currently in jail, along with seven of his family members, for possession of assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. The new FIR names Chaubey, his wife Swapna Sanchita, father-in-law Satyendranath Trivedi, brother-in-law Shipij Trivedi, sister-in-law Priyanka Trivedi, close associate and NexGen director Vinay Kumar Singh, and Singh’s wife Snigdha Singh as accused. Background of InvestigationFollowing Chaubey’s arrest earlier, the ACB had initiated a preliminary inquiry in May. After six months of investigation, the accused have been charged under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). D...