Supreme Court Grants Relief to 28 Jharkhand BJP Leaders

Supreme Court dismisses an appeal of Jharkhand government challenging the High Court order which quashed rioting cases against 28 BJP leaders including Nishikant Dubey, Arjun Munda and Babulal Marandi in connection with a protest against the state government in 2023. pic.twitter.com/ZVB5xtSBSJ

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2025

In a major ruling, the Supreme Court has provided significant relief to 28 BJP leaders from Jharkhand, rejecting the state government’s appeal. Among the leaders granted relief are BJP State President Babulal Marandi, former Union Minister Arjun Munda, Sanjay Seth, Nishikant Dubey, Deepak Prakash, and CP Singh. These leaders were named in an FIR filed after a protest march at the Ranchi Secretariat on April 11, 2023.

The protest was organized by the BJP, accusing Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s government of failure. The demonstrators attempted to encircle the Secretariat, leading to the imposition of Section 144 around the area by the administration to maintain order. The protestors, who clashed with police barricades, were dispersed with water cannons, tear gas, and lathi charges.

Following the protest, the state government filed an FIR against the leaders involved. Initially, the High Court had quashed the FIR, but the state government appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the appeal has provided relief to the BJP leaders.

In the aftermath of the ruling, the BJP leaders expressed their relief, while the state government is contemplating further legal action. The case has become a highly contentious issue, with both the state government and the opposition engaged in ongoing political and legal battles.