Protest erupts as missing farmer found murdered in Jharkhand
Ranchi: Body of a 44-year-old farmer who went missing in the last month was discovered in a farm field in the troubled Jharkhand state in India, sparking protests by locals as well as relatives demanding arrest of the culprits.
According to the Kashmir Media Service, the farmer, Mangal Oram, who disappeared on February 29, was found murdered, with his body recovered in a farm field in Rourkela area of the state.
Locals, along with Mangal’s family members and relatives, surrounded Jhirpani police station demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the farmer’s murder.
The protesters said Mangal used to visit different weekly markets to sell his crops and also ferry other farmers in his pickup van. He, along with some farmers, had gone to Jhirpani weekly market in his van on February 29. After dropping the farmers at the market, Mangal disappeared with his van.
“We suspect one or more miscreants might have kidnapped Mangal and killed him,” they added.
Birmitrapur MLA Shankar Oram, who had earlier led protests against the police for their failure to trace the missing farmer, said the last call Mangal received on his phone was from one Sukru Pradhan of Thethaitangar in Simdega district of Jharkhand. Soon after, the phones of Mangal and Sukru got switched off, and both went missing.
