The Bastar police has conceded that a man killed in an encounter in Bharanda area of Narayanpur district in the wee hours of January 25 was apparently caught in a crossfire between the police and Maoists, and was 'prima facie not linked to Maoists'.
However, they have trashed claims made by Maoists that the security forces killed another civilian in a 'fake encounter' at Thimmapuram in Sukma district on January 30 and branded him a Naxal.
The first incident, where the Narayanpur police had initially claimed that the deceased Manu Ram Nureti was a Maoist killed in an encounter with the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of the Chhattisgarh police, had raised a lot of questions. Family members of the deceased, including his brother Renu Ram, who is a constable with the DRG, had said that Manu Ram had no links whatsoever with the Maoists and had rather applied for a post with the Bastar Fighters' unit of the police. Opposition BJP also took up the issue vociferously and also constituted a probe team under ex-minister Kedar Kashyap, who demanded strong action against those involved in the 'fake encounter'.
A week later, the Bastar Inspector General of Police, Sundarraj P., conceded that Manu Ram, prima facie, did not have any links to the Maoists and rather caught in a crossfire between police and Maoists.
In a statement to THE WEEK, Sundarraj said, “After examining all witnesses and circumstances of the incident, it has been established that the deceased Manu Nureti (25, resident of village Ghotia under police station Bharanda) along with his three other associates went to the jungle for hunting. They were carrying three muzzle loading rifles with them. One rifle was recovered from the spot and other two rifles was handed over by the villagers to Police for further investigation. Based on the investigation conducted so far it appears that the deceased was caught in a police naxal cross fire. Statements of family members and all concerned are being recorded in this regard.”
The IG also said that a separate magisterial inquiry was being conducted into the incident and that the family will be provided assistance as per rules.
Sundarraj, however, trashed the claims of the Maoists that another person – Markam Joga of village Thimmapuram in Sukma district - had been 'brutally murdered' by security forces in a 'fake encounter' on January 30.
The IG told THE WEEK, “This is typical modus operandi of Naxals to defame and demoralise the security forces. The security forces in fact survived a huge IED also (after the encounter).”
The encounter between Maoists and a joint team of DRG and the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) of the CRPF occurred early morning of January 30, following which 'body of male Maoist clad in uniform and firearm, were recovered from the spot', the police had said.
A statement issued by the South Bastar division committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) following the Thimmapuram incident said that not only did the security forces kill Joga, but also captured 12 other villagers who were working on their farms and harassed them in custody, while two more were missing following the 'fake encounter'. The Maoists called for a judicial probe into the incident and strict punishment to the officers and jawans involved.
An organisation of local tribals called Mool Niwasi Bachao Manch had also questioned the encounter and said that three villagers had been killed by the forces.
The IG, however, told THE WEEK that a Maoist – Markam Budhu - arrested after the Thimmapuram encounter had revealed during interrogation that the battalion number 1 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) of the Communist Party of India (Maoists) were planning a major attack on the forces engaged in road construction security in the area. However, the plan failed due to the encounter where Joga was killed.
“Budhu revealed that the responsibility of conducting an IED (improvised explosive device) blast while the security forces team was returning from the encounter spot was given to militia commander Markam Joga by Maoist commander Kallu. However, due to alertness of the forces, a 25kg IED was spotted and defused in-situ. Four others detained for questioning during the jungle search, were released on the same day and handed over to their kin. Arrested Maoist Budhu will be produced in the court,” the IG said.