Jamshedpur, May 14: Jharkhand High Court today ordered that the status quo be maintained at the Ganesh Puja Maidan in Jamshedpur. The court also issued notices to JMM MP Suman Mahto and revenue and land reforms minister Dulal Bhuiyan for their roles in trying to install a bust of slain JMM functionary Sunil Mahto on the land.

The court passed the order while hearing two petitions. One was filed by Shri Bala Ganpati Vilas and the other by Tata Steel. Both questioned the action of the JMM in trying to install the bust on the plot in Kadma.

The steel company made the minister and Suman party in the case for trying to ensure that the land, under the leasehold of Tata Steel, is released from the lease for the installation of the bust.

The counsel for the steel company said the land had been leased to Tata Steel by the state government. According to the agreement, the state government cannot reclaim any land leased in favour of the company being used for public purposes.

Ganesh Puja Maidan is used for public functions and Ganesh Puja and Dussehra celebrations are being performed on the land for more than eight decades. A statue of a political personality will spoil the social fabric of the area, the counsel said.

The advocate-general has been directed to file a counter-affidavit within four weeks.

When the JMM tried to install the bust, the district administration intervened and Suman and several party activists were detained. This led to the transfer of Nitin Madan Kulkarni, the then East Singhbhum deputy commissioner, Ranjan Choudhury, the then Dalbhum SDO, and Amarjeet Prasad, the Kadma police station chief then.

Officials of the IAS Officers’ Association today met chief minister Madhu Koda over the transfers. They demanded that officers enforcing law not be humiliated. Association secretary R.S. Sharma said the chief minister assured them officers would not be demoralised.