Stop communalising hit-and-run case: Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha urges top officials to uphold rule of law

The case dates back to February 17, 2026, in Ranchi’s Doranda area. Viral video footage reportedly shows Manoj Tandon driving at high speed while the complainant, Mawaz Khan, is seen clinging to the car’s hood, shouting for the vehicle to stop. While cross-FIRs were filed by both parties, a bench of the Jharkhand High Court stayed the investigation into both the cases following a petition by Tandon on February 19 fixing the next date of hearing on March 24. The Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha expressed grave concern over the narrative being built around the incident.

The Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM) moved the state’s top brass, including the chief secretary Abinash Kumar, home secretary Vandana Dadel, and director general of police Tadasha Mishra, seeking an impartial investigation into the hit-and-run case involving lawyer Manoj Tandon. In a formal letter sent on Wednesday, the JJM warned that a “routine road accident” is being systematically derailed by partisan and communal interference.

Stop communalising hit-and-run case: Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha urges top officials to uphold rule of law

The case dates back to February 17, 2026, in Ranchi’s Doranda area. Viral video footage reportedly shows Manoj Tandon driving at high speed while the complainant, Mawaz Khan, is seen clinging to the car’s hood, shouting for the vehicle to stop. While cross-FIRs were filed by both parties, a bench of the Jharkhand High Court stayed the investigation into both the cases following a petition by Tandon on February 19 fixing the next date of hearing on March 24. The Mahasabha expressed grave concern over the narrative being built around the incident.

“Attempts are being made to give a communal twist to a simple criminal case,” the letter stated. The JJM pointed out that various organisations are identifying the complainant and the investigating officer by their religious identity in representations to the court and administration. The JJM, which had previously appealed to the Chief Justice on February 22 for a fair hearing, has now demanded that the state administration ensure that the victim seeking justice is not targeted with baseless allegations, issue strict instructions to the police to act solely on law and evidence and reinforce the principle that no individual or organisation, regardless of stature, is above the law.

“The rule of law must prevail,” the Mahasabha asserted, calling for the protection of the judicial process from external communal pressures. Advocate appearing on behalf of advocate Tandon, Abhay Mishra, took strong exception to JJM’s act. “Why is JJM worried when the dispute between Mawaz Khan and a high court advocate Manoj Tondon and Jharkhand police is probing the matter? My client is also in favour of fair investigation and thus knocked on the door of the high court to hand over the matter to CBI, punching holes in the police investigation,” Mishra said. On January 19, the Jharkhand High Court stayed all proceedings and investigations in alleged hit and run cases registered at Doranda police station.

The high court also directed the state to file an affidavit in the matter and asked senior superintendent of police Rakesh Ranjan to ensure proper security to the advocate who hinted towards Khan’s connection with banned organisation, People’s Front of India (PFI), on the basis of his Instagram posts. “Bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi passed the order after the advocate filed a criminal writ petition before the court seeking CBI and NIA probe said cases punching holes in the police investigation in the case.

The advocate through his petition pointed out that two FIRs were registered in the same case and investigation of the FIR filed by Khan was handed over to a police official belonging to a particular community while investigation of the FIR registered on his complaint was handed over to another police official. The advocate through his petition also pointed out that the police seized his car while Khan’s car was seized,” a advocate close to the matter said. The High Court order, a copy of which is available with the Hindustan Times, confirmed the facts and the court’s direction. “There shall be a stay of further proceedings including the investigation in connection with Doranda P.S. Case No.51 of 2026 and Doranda P.S. Case No.52 of 2026 and no coercive step shall be taken against the petitioner in connection with Doranda P.S. Case No.51 of 2026, pending in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class-XIII, Ranchi, till the next date of listing. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Ranchi shall take the stock of the situation and he will also ensure that no harm can be there to the petitioner,” the order reads. Background of the case A Mercedes-Benz, driven by an advocate, collided with a motorbike ridden by Nawaz Khan, who was returning from dropping his brother at a board exam centre on Tuesday. Following a heated argument over compensation, Khan reportedly clung to the car’s bonnet. Witnesses and viral videos show the vehicle speeding for some distance through Rajendra Chowk with Khan still attached to the hood. The victim alleged that Tandon drove Khan to his private residence, where Tandon allegedly held Khan hostage and physically assaulted him. According to the advocate he was on his way to his office when a bike touched his car. He claimed a mob immediately gathered, accosted him, and began threatening his life. To save himself, he stayed locked inside the car and drove away because he believed he would face “death itself” if he stayed. The advocate denied the hit-and-run allegations, claiming the biker suddenly came in front of his vehicle from the wrong side, leading to a “slight knock”. He further asserted that neither the biker nor the bike suffered any actual damage. The advocate argued that as he began to move the car to escape the mob, the biker deliberately jumped onto the bonnet and refused to get down. He claimed he continued driving only to reach the safety of his flat while the mob chased him. He alleged that the biker and others initially demanded ₹500 for non-existent damages, which quickly escalated to ₹2,000 within a minute, suggesting the confrontation was an attempt at harassment.