Autopsy confirms foul play, cops lodge FIR Nitin MahajanPosted online: Friday, May 11, 2007 at 0000 hrs IST RAIPUR, MAY 10
A day after foul play was confirmed by the preliminary autopsy report offour of the seven villagers killed in a fake encounter near Santoshpurvillage on March 31, the Chhattisgarh Police finally lodged an FIR in thecase.But clearly attempting to shield securitymen, the FIR states that the crimewas committed by "agyaat vardidhari log" (unidentified men in uniform). It does not specify if these uniformed men were policemen or Naxalites.
The FIR, registered at the Bijapur police station, states that the killingof tribals from Ponjer and other villages was carried out by 25-30 peoplewho were in uniform. The report states that no one has been able to identifythe culprits. Nor is any motive for the killing mentioned.The autopsy, which was carried out after The Indian Express first reportedthe "encounter" that had been kept under wraps, revealed gunshot wounds anddeep gashes caused by sharp-edged objects like axes or machetes. Villagerssaid that seven innocent persons were picked up by the police and SalwaJudum - an armed anti-Naxalite force comprising villagers - and killed incold blood as "Naxalite sympathisers" . One of the three doctors who carriedout the post-mortem confirmed that at least two bodies had clear gunshotwounds."Kodiam Bujja of Santoshpur village and Madiyam Lakhma of Ponjer, whosebodies have also been exhumed, clearly show that they have been shot at froma point blank range," the doctor stated.
PEOPLE'S UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIESCHHATTISGARHPost Box No. 87, Main Post Office,Raipur รข€“ 492001: ChhattisgarhE-mail: pucl.cg@gmail. com============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ===Press Release
"PUCL CONDEMNS POLICE ATTEMPT AT IMPLICATING HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN NAXAL ACTIVITIES"Raipur,10th May, 2007
The People's Union for Civil Liberties - Chhattisgarh (PUCL)has strongly condemned the attempt by the Chhattisgarh Police in implicatingHuman Rights Activists in Naxal activities, especially in the matter of"illegal detention" of Mr. Piyush Guha, who has been wrongfully confined inpolice custody for six days without even following the guidelines providedby the Supreme Court in the D K Basu Vs. State of West Bengal.
PUCL plans to carry out a concerted campaign to expose the designs of the ChhattisgarhGovernment in discrediting the human rights organisations and movement,which has creatively contributed to the preservation and promotion of humanrights in particular, and the gross violations committed by the variousgovernments in Chhattisgarh during the past 30 years.
PUCL is also contacting its national leadership to explore the possibility of legalaction in this regard.In an emergency meeting of the State Unit today at Raipur, theChhattisgarh PUCL has also taken strong objection to the "falsehoods" and"insinuations" being spread by the Chhattisgarh Police regarding theperson's absence from his house.
In fact, Dr. Binayak Sen and his familyhave gone to Kolkotta to be with their family during summer holidays since 1st of May 2007, which was planned long ago. However, without verifying thisfact, the Chhattisgarh Police has tried to create an impression as if Dr.Sen had vanished after the incident of "illegal detention" of Mr. PiyushGuha.In a statement issued today by Adv Rajendra K Sail, President ofChhattisgarh PUCL, it has been categorically stated that Dr. Binayak Sen isnot only the General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh PUCL, but has played aprominent role in defending and promoting human rights not only inChhattisgarh but also in the country. Dr. Binayak Sen is also presently theVice-President of the National PUCL.The PUCL considers this as an attempt to discredit the HumanRights Activists and Organisations in the wake of facts coming out in theopen about recent fake encounters in Panjher and Santoshpur villages ofBijapur Tahsil of Dantewara District in Chhattisgarh, in which more than adozen citizens were not only murdered in cold blood but also buried withoutfulfilling any legal formalities like post-mortem and decent burial withreligious rites. Their bodies were recently exhumed from a mass grave at theorders of the State Human Rights Commission, and the post-mortem conductedrevealed bullet injuries on their bodies.PUCL has further stated that there is a public uproar on thegrowing police brutality in Chhattisgarh and deliberate destruction ofdemocratic aspirations of the peace-loving people, which has been amplydemonstrated in demands by various political parties, civil societyorganisations, prominent citizens, especially the adivasi and dalit leadersfor a high level enquiry into these incidents of State Violence.The PUCL would like to assert the fact that meeting andproviding legal aid to the victims of human rights violations by the Statewas part and parcel of the stated objectives of the PUCL, and it was infulfilling these tasks and responsibilities as an office-bearer of the PUCLthat Dr. Sen had been functioning with faith and commitment. All suchactivities are not only Constitutional and legal, but produced the requiredresults as the "illegalities" and "corruption" in Jails, Custodial Deaths,Fake Encounters, Fake Surrenders and Fake Arrests etc., have been madepublic and acted upon by various Courts in the country.
Rajendra k Sail
President
Mobile: 098268-04519
Posted by: "Frederick "FN" Noronha" fredericknoronha@gmail.com fredericknoronha
Thu May 10, 2007 1:35 pm (PST)
Chhattisgarh Government says it won't arrest its killer cops(LEAD)Indo-Asian News ServiceRaipur, May 9 (IANS) Chhattisgarh' s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)government has said it would not arrest the police personnel whoallegedly shot dead 5-7 tribals March 31 in Bijapur district, even asan official probe confirmed that the villagers were branded as Maoistsand killed."The government will not arrest the policemen involved in the killingsof some civilians now as we do not want to create a Gujarat-likesituation. Police personnel are fighting a battle in the interiorBastar region in extremely difficult situations," Home MinisterRamvichar Netam told IANS Wednesday over telephone.
Netam's statement came after O.P. Rathore, the state's directorgeneral of police ordered a probe on May 5 into the alleged killingsof innocent tribals by a police team in Bijapur's Santoshpur village.The probe was ordered after locals alleged that at least 5-7 youth ofPonjer village were taken to Santoshpur by police for interrogationand some of them were shot while a few were axed to death."We exhumed some 4-5 bodies from a graveyard at Ponjer village Mondayas part of the probe.
An autopsy report confirms that three of themwere hit by bullets at close range on the head and waist while otherswere axed to death," a police officer monitoring the investigationtold IANS."A police team had visited the Ponjer and Santoshpur villages on March31, and on the basis of talks with the bereaved family members andinformation from the local police, it's certain that some policepersonnel crossed the limits and killed innocent villagers brandingthem as Maoists militants," said the official.He added that the "probe has confirmed the involvement of policemen incivilian casualties on March 31 at Santoshpur.
We don't like to tossup the issue, but it's a serious crime, Now the government has todecide whether the cops involved in killings should be arrested ornot."The Chhattisgarh State Human Rights Commission has also sought adetailed report from the Bijapur district police chief about thecivilian killings.Bijapur and its neighbouring Dantewada districts are considered havensof Maoist guerrillas. The police estimate that about 4,000 hardcoremilitants armed with landmines and AK-47s operate mainly in theforested stretch.Local media reports say that at least 250 tribals of Santoshpurvillage and about 350 tribals of Ponjer fled to unknown locations lastweek fearing the police would repeat the March 31 brutality.
Indo-Asian News Service-- FN M: 0091 9822122436 P: +91-832-240- 9490 (after 1300IST please)http://fn.goa- india.org http://fredericknor onha.wordpress. comKonkani Wikipedia (under incubation) needs your help!http://incubator. wikimedia. org/wiki/ Wp/kok
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