Champai Soren under house arrest as tribals clash with police over RIMS-2 land in Ranchi

Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP leader Champai Soren was placed under house arrest on Sunday as protests erupted in Ranchi’s Nagri area over land acquisition for the proposed RIMS-2 project. His son Babulal and several supporters were also detained by police while on their way to join the agitation.

The district administration had clamped prohibitory orders and put up barricades across the area to block access. Despite heavy security deployment, over 20 tribal groups, farmers and landowners gathered at the disputed site, carrying posters with the image of Shibu Soren and chanting slogans. Many protesters wore masks of the tribal leader, popularly known as “Dishom Guru,” and carried out the symbolic “Hal Joto, Ropa Ropo” ploughing and planting protest.

The situation turned tense as villagers alleged that police resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Protesters, however, claimed they managed to plough the land and plant saplings in defiance of the administration’s orders. Champai Soren called his detention “undemocratic,” accusing the government of silencing those supporting tribals’ land rights.

The RIMS-2 project, pegged at ₹1,074 crore, will expand the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences with a 2,600-bed hospital and new medical seats. Authorities maintain that the project is in the state’s interest, but the protests highlight deep resentment among locals who accuse the government of forcibly taking their land.