The head of a calf was found at Katras Mor, Jharia, some 8km from Dhanbad district headquarters, on Sunday morning, triggering a roadblock by VHP protesters.

The situation quietened down after a milkman claimed before Jharia police that one of his cows had given birth to a stillborn calf on Saturday night and dogs had carried it away.

But before the arrival of the milkman, over 50 VHP members staged a roadblock at JP Chowk of Katras Mor area where the calf head was found near a kirtan site. They blocked the road near JP Chowk for an hour from 8.30am. Protestors, led by the VHP district general secretary Ramesh Pandey, burnt tyres and demanded action against those responsible.

Jharia police led by OC P.K. Singh tried to pacify the protesters saying that mischief-makers, if any, would be punished after a detailed probe. Senior police officials led by city SP R. Ramkumar reached the site and held talks with members of the Jharia peace committee. They appealed to people to maintain harmony in view of the upcoming Holi.

Milkman Kamlesh Yadav, who went to Jharia police at 10am, said he heard the commotion and decided to speak up.

He claimed that after his cow gave birth to a stillborn calf late on Saturday, he could not dump the carcass so late. So he kept it in a sack under a cot in his cowshed and went home but stray dogs took away the carcass. On Sunday morning, he learnt that the calf’s head was found some 200m from his cowshed at Katras Mor and the commotion that it had created.

City SP R. Ramkumar said that they were probing the veracity of the milkman’s statements. He appealed to people to maintain peace and not fuel rumours. He claimed Jharia was normal.