Sonbhadra massacre report to be filed soon

LUCKNOW: As the tribal-dominated district of Sonbhadra turns into a political battlefield between the BJP and Congress in the wake of the sensational massacre of eight Gond tribals in July, the special investigation team (SIT) is all set to submit its report in a fortnight.
DIG (SIT) J Ravindra Gaur told TOI that his teams had fanned out in several districts in Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Bihar to record the statement of office-bearers and members of the Adarsh Krishi Sahkari Samiti if they are still alive.
Gaur regretted the way in which local officials conspired with people in power then to dispossess tribals—who tilled land that they possessed for decades—to hand over their land to the society.
On July 19, warring group of villagers fought a pitched battle over the possession of a piece of disputed land, indulging in exchange of fire causing death of eight of them and leaving 28 others injured.
Gaur said that it had come to light during the investigations that the tribals were in possession of the disputed land since decades and tilling it too.
The SIT is probing how the land owned by village sabha got transferred to the Adarsh Krishi Society and then from one hand to another.
The SIT team is visiting several districts in UP and Bihar to record statements of co-operative society members but finding it difficult as they are now old and, in some cases, are untraceable.
The BJP government in the state was targeted by the Opposition not only because of the bloody massacre but also for the way the district administration was perceived to have favoured one powerful group of villagers headed by the village pradhan.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra even staged an indefinite dharna till she was allowed to meet the victims of the massacre and the administration had to finally agree to arranging her meeting.