Hearing in Khairlanji case begins

Nagpur, May 3 (UNI) A hearing into the case pertaining to last year's killing of four members of a Dalit family by villagers at Khairlanji in Bhandara district of Vidarbha region, that triggered large-scale violence, began today.

The trial began with the deposition of a 'formal witness,' (persons who assisted the investigation) in the court of First Ad Hoc Judge and First Additional Sessions judge S S Das in Bhandara.

The witness examined today was Tarachand Dandare, sectional engineer of Public Works Department (PWD). Mr Dandare, along with another sectional engineer, D K Hatwar, had prepared the maps of various sites related to the incident.

The prosecution will continue examining formal witnesses in the case over the next two days.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge-sheet under sections 120 (B), 302, 449 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and sections 3, 2 and 6 of the Atrocities Act against 11 accused in the case.

Earlier, 36 persons who had been arrested in connection with the case were set free as the CBI did not file any charges against them due to lack of evidence.

Surekha Bhotmange (45), daughter Priyanka (18), and sons Roshan (23) and Sudhir (21) were lynched by a mob in Khairlanji late on the night of September 29 last over a land dispute.

UNI