Jharkhand govt transfers three officials over Latehar attack

RANCHI: Palamu commissioner A.K. Pandey has begun the process of investigation into the police firing at Latehar which killed five villagers, even as the Jharkhand government transferred three key officials of the district for failing to check extremist violence there during the polling.

The CRPF had to open fire following an attack by a group of extremists at Latehar during the first phase of polling on April 16. Five persons were killed in the incident. The government first termed them as extremists, but after pressure from different groups, it admitted that the victims were innocent villagers.

The three key officials who have been transferred by the government are Latehar deputy commissioner Sarvendu Tathagat, DIG of police Nandu Prasad and SP Hemant Toppo. The government was under pressure from all quarters as these officials could not take appropriate steps to check violence during the polling in the district, which resulted in killing of as many as 17 persons, including several security personnel.

The extremists had also hijacked a train for four hours at Hehegarh railway station in the district. Mr Tathagat has been asked to join the personnel department, while Mr Prasad and Mr Toppo have been shifted to the state police headquarters, said a government release.