ISLAMABAD: Indian police pushed and forcibly restrained a student activist and political candidate on Saturday after blocking him from leaving a hospital in the eastern state of Jharkhand, known for its coal and iron ore production.

Devendra Nath Mahto, 33, has been on an indefinite hunger strike since August 2 over reported fraud in a government job recruitment exam, and became one of the most visible faces of the protests after the exam commission's credibility collapsed, The Hindu reported.

अनशनकारी देवेंद्र नाथ महतो को तिरंगा यात्रा में जाने से रोका, पुलिस से हुई धक्का-मुक्की#JPSC #JSSC #Jharkhand #StudentProtest #DevendraNathMahto #TirangaYatra #Ranchi #StudentVoice #Protest #JusticeForStudents #JharkhandNews #15August #IndependenceDay #ReelsViral pic.twitter.com/8C1xX6JaQO
— Loktantra19 (@theLoktantra19) August 15, 2026

Security personnel blocked him on Saturday as he tried to leave hospital to attend an Independence Day ceremony, the Hindustan Times reported. He sustained chest injuries during the scuffle.

Mahto, who holds postgraduate degrees, ran for office in 2024 under the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha party, contesting the Tamar/Silli state assembly seat. He faces 12 unresolved cases linked to political agitation, according to The Hindu.

He was admitted to Ranchi's Sadar Hospital on August 10 after travelling to a protest march at the state legislature by ambulance and addressing demonstrators from a stretcher, the Times of India reported.

Exam fraud allegations
The protests center on Jharkhand's civil service exam system, the main route into government careers in India and comparable to Britain's civil service exams. The state's 14th civil service exam offered 103 posts. The Times of India reported 350,000 people applied, and 2,204 were shortlisted.

According to a Jharkhand Criminal Investigation Department (CID) report investigated by The Print, it was found that a manager at TSR Data Processing Private Limited, the private contractor hired to administer the exam, had himself passed the test his company ran. The score sheets posted online showed some out-of-state candidates qualified despite answering fewer than 50 questions.

The Hindu said answer keys were leaked to candidates in Nepal, who were then taken to memorization centers.

Police used water cannon, tear gas and baton charges against protesters marching on the state assembly on August 10, AFP reported. Four officers were hurt by stone-throwing, while the Times of India said demonstrators, including women, also reported injuries.

Mahto's hunger strike drew national attention to the movement. The Chairperson of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission L Khiangte resigned on July 22, followed on August 9 by commission members Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmad, according to The Hindu.

Protest leaders, including Mahto, are demanding the cancellation of all recruitment cycles that used private contractors, a federal probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, and public release of candidates' answer sheets.

79th independence anniversary
The confrontation came as India marked 79 years of independence from British colonial rule with flag-hoisting ceremonies and official addresses nationwide.

In Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren delivered his own Independence Day speech. Meanwhile, the hospitalized Mahto remained under medical care after the altercation and did not attend an Independence Day event himself.

Indian civil service

Indian police restrain hunger-striking activist on Independence Day