Eight people were arrested after stones were allegedly thrown at a religious procession near Namaskar Chowk in Hazaribag’s Khirgaon area late Tuesday, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place while the procession was travelling towards Nawabgunj for an offering as part of a two-day annual ceremony.
The incident falls under the jurisdiction of Bada Bazar police station. Hazaribag headquarters Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rupak Kumar Singh said police intervened promptly after the stone pelting and prevented the situation from escalating. He said the situation was under control.
The arrests followed a complaint filed by the magistrate on duty, according to the police. Fourteen people have been named in the first information report, while efforts were continuing to arrest the remaining accused, Singh said.
Police deployed a large contingent at Namaskar Chowk as a precautionary measure after the incident. The deployment was intended to maintain public order in the area as authorities continued their investigation and pursued those named in the FIR.
The procession was linked to a two-day annual ceremony and was headed to Nawabgunj for an offering when the incident occurred. The police account did not provide details on the cause of the stone pelting, whether anyone was injured, or the extent of any property damage.
The arrests and additional deployment place the immediate focus on maintaining order along procession routes and in areas where large public gatherings take place. The police have not announced any further operational restrictions or provided details of additional measures beyond the deployment at Namaskar Chowk.
According to the police, efforts to arrest the remaining people named in the FIR were under way. Authorities have said the situation remains under control while the investigation proceeds.
