Shocked at yesterday's macabre killings of five innocent women near the state capital leading to the arrest of 27 villagers, Jharkhand Chief Secretary Rajiv Gauba today directed the police to complete investigation within one month and file charge sheet against the culprits.
An official release quoting Gauba said the state would request the High Court to set up fast track courts for speeding up pending cases over the last three years in connection with such superstitious cases and special public prosecutors would be appointed for speeding up the cases.
A day after the killings who were being accused of practising 'witchcraft' at Kanjia village under Mandar police station in Ranchi district, the Chief Secretary chaired a high-level meeting, which was attended by Jharkhand police chief D K Pandey, HRD Secretary Aradhana Patnaik, Social Welfare Department Secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey, Ranchi district Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar, Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar and other officials.
Directing to speed up the implementation of Adivasi Grameen Vikash Yozana (tribal village development scheme) in tribal-dominated villages, Gauba asked the state health department to set up health camps in tribal-dominated villages and fill up vacancies of teaching staff in schools.
The meeting also decided to appoint nodal officers in the home department to monitor such superstitions and a weekly report would be sent to the office of the Chief Secretary.
Street plays would be organised to spread awareness and a nodal cell would be set up in the department of social welfare, the release added.
