A 12-year-old tribal boy, Sujit Oraon, among the injured in the Lohardaga attack on a pro-CAA march on Thursday, is critical, human rights activist Runa Shukla said on Friday.
Sujit, admitted to the neurosurgery ward of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, is still unconscious.
People had hurled stones at a pro-CAA march of around 4,000 in Lohardaga town on Thursday afternoon, besides torching a few vehicles, shops and houses, before the police intervened and a curfew was clamped. The number of those injured in the attack is not confirmed, but Sujit and Lav Lalnath Shahdeo, 40, both admitted to RIMS, are among the seriously hurt.
Lohardaga MP Sudarshan Bhagat had come to see the victims at RIMS on Friday.
Shukla said the tragedy was that Sujit was not even a part of the procession.
“He is a child worker and was attacked in a motor garage by his colleague on the back of his head during the violence,” she claimed. “When he regained his sense briefly, he named someone called Gulab Bhai and again becamesenseless.”
She said attempts were being made to locate his parents. “Primary inquiry suggests that he is from a village under Senha police station limits. I am trying to reunite him with his parents.”
On the other victim in RIMS, Shukla said Shahdeo sustained injuries on his head, face and hand. “He is in the same ward as Sujit but Shahdeo can speak. When I met him, he said the police behaved like mute spectators when they were being attacked though the procession organisers (a rightwing outfit) had taken permission from the administration,” she said.
Shukla said she had come to know about another injured man from the same procession, Pradeep Poddar, who was admitted to a private hospital in Ranchi.
Lohardaga wore a deserted look on Friday, the second day of the curfew. A resident, who did not wish to be quoted, said: “Over 200 people have taken shelter in a dharamshala. Many children, who had gone to school on Thursday, returned home on Friday morning with administrative support. Many are still missing.”
Ranchi-Lohardaga train is made one daily trip on Friday afternoon. The morning and evening trips were cancelled.
DIG of South Chotanagpur range A.V. Homkar told The Telegraph that the situation was under control with proper monitoring in the district. Heavy security has been deployed and trouble makers are being identified,” he said, appealing to people to stay calm and not spread rumours.