Around 200 women locked inside Ranchi hostel amid land dispute

Around 200 female residents of a women’s hostel in Jharkhand’s Ranchi have been locked inside by a local strongman due to an ongoing land dispute. The hostel’s dining facility has also been forcibly closed, leaving the women stranded without access to meals.
The incident took place at Saraswati Hostel in the Tharpakhna area, where tensions have been rising over ownership of the property.
The hostel land was originally purchased from Ajay Kachhap, who passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following his death, Kachhap’s widow, identified as Lali, has reportedly claimed that the original sale price was insufficient and is demanding additional payment from the hostel management.
Reports indicate that Lali’s associates have repeatedly locked the hostel and disrupted its operations whenever their demands were not met. This time, they locked the students and staff inside the premises, even trapping the hostel’s cook in the dining hall.
The neighbourhood has expressed concern over the unchecked actions occurring openly, while local authorities have yet to intervene or take action in the matter.