HR organisations demand judicial probe into encounter

Bangalore, July 16 (UNI) Human Rights organisations, headed by People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), today demanded a judicial probe into the alleged killing of four tribals by the police in an encounter near Menasinahadya village in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka, last week.

Speaking to newspersons here, PUCL President Hasan Mansur demanded that every killing in the name of encounter should be considered as murder and investigated.

He said a 25-member Fact Finding team, which visited Menasinahadya village, condemned the killings of adivasis. ''The spot of the encounter bore numerous bullet marks due to indiscriminate firing, both outside and inside the house. Those who were killed were unarmed and hence, it was a fake encounter. A judicial inquiry should be ordered into the fake encounter,'' he demanded.

Mr Mansur demanded that the Government should stop its ''encounter policy'' and come out with a categorical gazette notification that the adivasis would not be displaced from the Kudremukh National Park in Shimoga district.

To a question, he replied ''we are thinking to move the court against the killing and for suitable compensation. The report by the Fact Finding Committee would be sent to the National Human Rights Commission.'' UNI