By IANS
Ranchi : Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel gunned down a young man in Jharkhand Wednesday after mistaking him for a Maoist guerrilla.
Police said Suraj Nath Mahto, 20, was killed by CRPF troopers in Kelari block, around 60 km from state capital Ranchi.
The incident occurred when the CRPF personnel, while on a long-range patrol, stopped Suraj and two other youths who were returning home on a motorbike after attending a fair. Suraj panicked and started running, prompting the CRPF troopers to chase and shoot him.
Angry villagers called for a strike Thursday to protest his killing. They allege that security personnel are harassing innocent people in the name of anti-Maoist operations.
“Suraj’s only fault was that he started running after seeing the CRPF personnel. He probably felt it was illegal for three people to ride on a bike and started running but the CRPF personnel shot him dead,” a villager said.
The Jharkhand Police has asked the CRPF to take action against the troopers who shot the youth.