Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 31
Clearly questioning the credibility of Chhattisgarh Deputy General of Police (DGP) O P Rathor who had written to his Nagaland counterpart stating that ‘there was absolutely no basis nor hard facts’ to such ‘ambiguous allegations’ made against the Naga IRB jawans, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Chhattisgarh has stated that it stands by its report (along with other Human Rights Organisations) on violation of people’s rights during the Salwa Judum campaign in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh (based on a visit of 14-member Team in November 2005).
“PUCL reports & record on human rights have never been found to be false & baseless” stated Rajendra K Sail, President, Chhattisgarh PUCL in a press communiqué issued to The Morung Express and after going through the text of the letter of the Director General of Police (DGP), Chhattisgarh O P Rathor addressed to the Nagaland counterpart.
“The PUCL Chhattisgarh would also like to state that the PUCL Reports on human rights violations in Chhattisgarh during the last 30 years have never been found to be false and baseless. This is true not only in Chhattisgarh, but all over the country. These reports and record of the PUCL have stood the test of times, and also the scrutiny of the courts in the country. In fact, various courts, including the Supreme Court of India, have acted on the PUCL reports and recommendations, and passed landmark judgments upholding the findings of the PUCL”, the statement pointed out.
The PUCL also informed that as recently as on July 20, 2006, the Chhattisgarh High Court passed a landmark judgment in the case of Custodial Death of a Tribal, Ram Kumar Dhruv, and ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to thoroughly investigate the cause of death of Ram Kumar Dhruv. As a result, four police personnel of Suhela Police Station, Raipur, have been charged with murder u/s 302 Cr. P. C. along with two government doctors who conducted false autopsy (Please see, Writ Petition No. 2653 of 2004 :Forum of Fact Finding Documentation And Advocacy, Raipur, CG Versus State of Chhattisgarh. in the Chhattisgarh High Court, Bilaspur).
As to the credibility of the Police Department headed by DGP O P Rathor, the PUCL pointed out that the Chhattisgarh High Court had to make the following observations:
“It appears to us that by paying a meagre sum of Rs. 5,00,000/- and offering some land to the widow of the deceased, a curtain has been attempted to be drawn to cover up the very grave and apparent human right violations committed by the very custodians of human persons and their liberties. It we may say so, the story of suicide by Ramkumar Dhruv by hanging himself in the toilet enacted by the police appears to us to be a concocted story and a desperate attempt to avoid responsibility for the acts committed by A.S.I. Subhash Kumar Pradhan and 4 other officials while Ramkumar was in custody.”
The above observation has been made by no less than the Chief Justice S.R. Nayak and Justice D R Deshmukh. The High Court was compelled to observe further about the police department of Chhattisgarh headed by O P Rathor that
“It appears that they have attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of this Court”.
“So much so for the credibility of police department headed by Sri O P Rathor”, the PUCL Chhattisgarh stated.
The Chhattisgarh PUCL would also like to remind the Chhattisgarh DGP that the most reasonable demands raised by the The All India Team (consisting of creditable representatives from PUCL, PUDR, APDR, IAPL), and also by the Independent Citizen’s Initiative ( consisting of prominent citizens) in their respective reports have received wide support, but the Chhattisgarh Government is failing to adhere to any form of democratic process to find a peaceful solution to the “civil war-like situation” in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh. These demands are:
1. That the government stop using people as a shield and creating armed Village Defence Committees as part of its anti-naxal operations;
2. That paramilitary forces be withdrawn from the area and the civil administration be resorted;
3. That all killings by the state, the Salwa Judum and the Maoists be stopped;
4. That sincere dialogue with the Maoists be initiated, and a political resolution to the situation be found;
5. That FIRs be registered for all crimes committed by Salwa Judum and security forces and the culprits be prosecuted;
6. That the government and the CPI (Maoists) ensure that people return to their homes in peace and security;
7. That people be assisted in regaining their livelihoods in their villages and camps be dismantled.
The Chhattisgarh PUCL also informed that the Reports of the All India Team and the Independent Citizen’s Initiative have also been translated into Hindi and widely appreciated and well received by the democratic and peace-loving citizens in Chhattisgarh.
