Chhattisgarh: Families of two ‘Maoists’ claim fake encounter, refuse to take bodies

On Thursday, however, the families of the two as well other villagers from Badegadam arrived in Dantewada, and refused to take the bodies, alleging that they were killed in a fake encounter. They said that at around 7 am on Tuesday, a team of the Chhattisgarh Police that contained members of the District Reserve Guard, including former Maoists who have now joined the mainstream, came to the village and picked up Hidma and Lakhma from the fields.

The villagers alleged that the two were not wearing black uniforms. They claimed that the police took them away on the pretext of questioning, but they were later killed in what was claimed to be an encounter.

Chhattisgarh DGP D M Awasthi said, “I have been told about this and have given instructions to the Inspector General of Police, Bastar, that this should be enquired into. As a rule, there are instructions to everyone posted in Bastar that nothing that is not as per the law is acceptable.”

Civil rights activists working in Bastar have said that despite promises made by the Congress before the Assembly elections, after coming to power, very little has changed on the ground. They claim that there are still allegations of fake encounters, pointing to questions being raised about an encounter in Ghumiyapal in Dantewada recently as well.

Activist Bela Bhatia said, “In this case, a team of the Sarva Adivasi Samaj has gone to the village… This is not the first time this is happening under this government, and the situation doesn’t seem to have improved.”