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Police in Ranchi used water cannons, tear gas and lathicharge on Monday as thousands of students and job aspirants marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly.

The protesters, demanding cancellation of certain JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams and a CBI probe into alleged irregularities, breached multiple barricades during the ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ march. The agitation, now in its 17th day, coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s birthday.

Videos showed demonstrators dancing under water jets near Jagannathpur Temple as security forces tried to stop their advance. Fasting activist Devendra Nath Mahto joined the march in an ambulance. Several people, including protesters and police personnel, were reportedly injured.

Heavy security with over 1,500 personnel and barbed-wire barricades had been deployed along the route. The government claims to have accepted most demands, but students continued the protest, insisting on full resolution and an independent investigation.