'Maoist and their dogs will be stoned out,' Bastar IG tells activists

Following the threat to activist Bela Bhatia, lawyers and human rights advocates have claimed to have received offensive and threatening messages from the Bastar IG, SRP Kalluri

Bastar: Following the threat to activist Bela Bhatia, several human rights defenders and lawyers working in the insurgency-prone region of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, claim to have received a string of abusive and threatening messages purportedly from phone numbers belonging to the region's senior most police official, SRP Kalluri.

A day after activist Bela Bhatia threatened to vacate her house in Pandripani village in Bastar district by villagers, it has now emerged that a top cop has also been involved in threatening activists like her in the district.

According to an NDTV report, activists and lawyers claim that they have received abusive messages from Bastar's Inspector General SRP Kalluri, who allegedly called them 'dogs' and said they should be 'stoned out of Bastar'.

Activists claimed that they were sent the abusive messages because they asked Kalluri to intervene in Bela Bhatia's case.

In a message to Kalluri this Tuesday, Sandeep Singh, an activist wrote "This can't go (on for) long. You are not above the constitution. Don't sell your conscience for money." The response he claims to have received reads, 'Maoists and their dogs like you will be stoned out of Bastar. Beware.'

NDTV also accessed the exchange of messages between Pyoli Swatija, a Supreme Court lawyer with the top cop.

'Please ensure Bela Bhatia is not hounded out of her residence,' Swatija wrote to which Kalluri allegedly responded: 'Naxals will be kicked out of Bastar.' 'What does your answer have to do with my query?' she texted back. The only response she received was a curt 'F U'.

Bhatia was threatened in Chhattisgarh's Bastar on Monday and was warned to leave the area within 24 hours. Around 30 men barged inside Bhatia's home where she was allegedly threatened by death and told to leave immediately. The assailants also threatened to burn down her home is she refused to leave.

OneIndia News