Congress for NHRC probe into fake encounter deaths

Raipur, May 25 (UNI) The Congress has sought a probe by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) into ''fake encounter deaths'' in naxalite affected villages in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

A fact finding team of the All India Congress Committee, comprising Members of Parliament Moolchand Meena (Rajasthan), Madhusudan Mistry (Gujarat), Sushila Triya (Orissa), Moris Kujur (Orissa) and leader of the opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Jamuna Devi, visited villages Ponjer and Santoshpur, where bodies of six tribals went missing were dug out.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Meena said the district administration initially tried to prevent the delegation from visiting the area saying that the tribals had deserted the villages.

However, we found people in these villages and they were scared after the March 31 incident of killing six tribals, he added.

Quoting the villagers, Mr Meena said a group of people in police uniform had taken away six local youth to Santoshpur where they were killed.

''We also talked to police officials. They did not say that these people were killed by the naxalites. This indicated involvement of policemen in the killings'', he claimed.

Demanding a high level inquiry into the incident, Mr Meena alleged that the BJP government was ''not serious'' over the killing of innocent tribals as it did not take any action against those responsible for the fake encounter.

Mr Madhusudan Mistry, senior Congress leader from Gujarat, said the fact finding team would submit its report to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

''We will press for an inquiry by the National Human Rights Commission'', he said, adding that there was no point in demanding an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as it was upto the state government to recommend such a probe.

The delegation members parried questions about the ongoing anti-naxal movement 'Salwa Judum' in Bastar saying ''we have been told about the situation. But our task was to inquire into the fake encounter''.

UNI