Over a dozen youths were injured on Friday when police allegedly lathicharged around 300 job aspirants who were marching from Morabadi grounds towards the official residence of chief minister

Hemant Soren on Kanke Road to demand the government declare the final results of their Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examination.

The protesters were stopped midway at Radium Road in front of the official of residence of Ranchi SSP Anish Gupta, one of the most upscale areas of the capital. Prevented from reaching the CM’s house by the police, the protesters sat on the road which disturbed traffic for around half an hour. Police then resorted to lathicharge to clear the road, protesters said.

“We were badly caned by the police and many of us suffered injuries. Even girls were beaten by the policemen, there was no female cop. Police even manhandled and injured the physically challenged among us,” alleged Pooja Kumari, one of the protesters on Friday.

Contacted, officer in-charge of Lalpur police station Arvind Kumar Singh said that protesters were trying to block the traffic by holding sit-in demonstration on the road. “We had no option but to remove them from the road. But we did not misbehave and assault them,” said Singh, but did not confirm lathicharge.

Protesters said they appeared in the recruitment examination for posts of panchayat sachivs, stenographers and lower divisional clerks early in 2018. But their results had not yet been published by the JSSC.

In 2017, the state government had declared 3,000 vacant posts of panchayat sachivs, stenographers and lower divisional clerks.

The JSSC conducted a written examination in January 2018. After a prolonged agitation by students, results were declared in February last year.

Examinees however alleged that right from day one, the JSSC was inactive and apathetic about the examination and postponed the process at several stages.

Alok Kumar, an aspirant, said that in each stage of the examination, the JSSC played “some kind of mischief”.

“After the result of the written examination, JSSC developed cold shoulder in conducting the typing test. After much persuasion, the JSSC conducted the typing test and again we had to carry an agitation demanding the results of the typing test. The verification of the documents was also done. But now, JSSC is tight-lipped about the final merit list on the grounds that it will be declared only after a new local resident and employment policy is declared,” said Alok Kumar; an aspirant.

On January 9, students had held a massive demonstration at Raj Bhavan and the government had promised to look into the matter. “We’re still waiting, losing precious years,” said Alok.