SC penalises activist who linked security forces to tribals’ killings | India News
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NEW DELHI: Nearly 13 years after Himanshu Kumar of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram had hit the headlines by filing a PIL, sensationally accusing security forces of cold-bloodedly killing innocent tribals in Dantewada, the Supreme Court on Thursday said there was not an iota of truth in the allegations and slapped him with an “exemplary cost” of Rs 5 lakh.
In what could spell more trouble for the activist and his NGO, the SC allowed the CBI and the Chhattisgarh Police to investigate whether the filing of the PIL was meant to malign and discredit the security forces so as to stop them from carrying out operations against Left-wing extremists (Maoists).
A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and J B Pardiwala found that the FIRs registered and chargesheets filed in the case of killings of tribals in several villages of Dantewada on September 17 and October 1, 2009, unequivocally indicate these to be handiwork of dreaded Naxals and that most of the accused persons have been shown as absconding.
Justice Pardiwala said, “The filing of the chargesheets at the conclusion of the investigation into the FIRs would indicate that the alleged massacre was at the end of the Naxalites (Maoists). The materials collected… substantiate the case put up by the respondents that the villagers were attacked and killed by the Naxalites…”
Himanshu had alleged that Chhattisgarh Police, special police officers (SPOs), the activists of Salwa Judum (group of vigilantes sponsored by Chhattisgarh government) and the paramilitary forces consisting of CRPF and CoBRA battalions were responsible for the alleged brutal massacre of tribals.
In what could spell more trouble for the activist and his NGO, the SC allowed the CBI and the Chhattisgarh Police to investigate whether the filing of the PIL was meant to malign and discredit the security forces so as to stop them from carrying out operations against Left-wing extremists (Maoists).
A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and J B Pardiwala found that the FIRs registered and chargesheets filed in the case of killings of tribals in several villages of Dantewada on September 17 and October 1, 2009, unequivocally indicate these to be handiwork of dreaded Naxals and that most of the accused persons have been shown as absconding.
Justice Pardiwala said, “The filing of the chargesheets at the conclusion of the investigation into the FIRs would indicate that the alleged massacre was at the end of the Naxalites (Maoists). The materials collected… substantiate the case put up by the respondents that the villagers were attacked and killed by the Naxalites…”
Himanshu had alleged that Chhattisgarh Police, special police officers (SPOs), the activists of Salwa Judum (group of vigilantes sponsored by Chhattisgarh government) and the paramilitary forces consisting of CRPF and CoBRA battalions were responsible for the alleged brutal massacre of tribals.
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