New Delhi: Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday
told the Supreme Court that only two tribals remain to be
traced out of the 12 people who allegedly went missing after
filing petitions seeking a CBI probe into the killings of over
10 villagers in Dantewada district during anti-Naxal drive.
A Bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S
Nijjar was informed by advocate Atul Jha that four persons
have already been traced by the authorities and brought to the
national capital.
"We have traced four more persons who had gone missing
and the state government wants to produce them before this
court," Jha submitted before the Bench during the mentioning
hour.
However, the Bench asked the state government to
produce the four before the District Judge, Tis Hazari, for
recording their statements on Thursday.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who has been
appearing for the tribals, was present when the matter was
mentioned.
He asked the Bench that since he would not be
available till tomorrow, the recording of statements should be
done on Thursday.
The Chhattisgarh government had on February 15
produced six tribals before the apex court and later their
statements were recorded by the District Judge.
About the remaining two tribals, the advocate said the
authorities have got information that they have crossed over
to Andhra Pradesh and steps are being taken to locate them.
The apex court had on February 8 asked the state
government to trace the missing persons and present them
before it.
The direction was passed on a petition filed jointly
by rights activist Himanshu Kumar and kith and kins of the
tribals killed allegedly in anti-naxal operations in October
2009.
The petition by Kumar and the others alleged the police
had acted in a most brutal manner against the villagers and
even infants were killed in cold blood.
It claimed that Special Police Officers of Chhattisgarh
government, activists of Salwa Judum (group of vigilantes
sponsored by Chhattisgarh government and others) and Central
paramilitary forces were allegedly involved in the massacre on
September 17 and October 1, 2009.
While seeking a CBI probe into the incident, it said
police have shown no inclination to investigate the killings
particularly because their own personnel will be accused in
the proceedings.
Though eyewitnesses in their complaints have identified
the accused in some cases, no action has been taken by the
police, the petition claimed.
However, the Centre and Chattisgarh government have
refuted the allegations and have come together in opposing the
rights activists in the Supreme Court.
The matter is listed for hearing before the apex court
on March 19.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 09, 2010, 20:05