Jharkhand Police U-turn Over Jean Dreze

Patna: After protests by locals, Jharkhand police was forced to let off noted economist  and Right to Food activist Jean Dreze and two others, who were detained on Thursday in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district.

Dreze, along with two others, was detained by police under Vishnupura police station on charges of organising a meeting without permission from the local administration.

Soon after the three of them were detaine, the local people protested and threatened to stage a dharna, after which the police beat a hasty retreat and decided to let off them.

However, Vishnupura police station officer in charge Vijay Singh refuted the reports that Dreze was detained and questioned by police. Singh told Newsclick that it was wrongly reported that Dreze was arrested or detained. “There was nothing like that at all. We respect him for his stature”.

Singh said some local youth had organised a meeting without a permission from the administration and there was no information that economist would attend it.

According to Singh, a police team asked the local organisers not to go ahead with meeting in violation of the model code of conduct and without proper permission. But, when not allowed to hold the meeting, Dreze and others “visited” the police station and requested that they be allowed to organise the meeting.

Interestingly, Harsh Mangla, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Garwah, reportedly admitted that Dreze and the two others were detained for holding a meeting without permission and later let off.

The Belgian-born development economist, in a WhatsApp message to a friend said: "We want permission to hold the meeting today itself. Even evening. A big meeting was held in same village last night without permission."