Security Forces Killed 17 Villagers, Including 7 Minors In Chhattisgarh In 2012: Judicial Commission Report

A judicial commission headed by Justice V K Agarwal has accused security forces of killing 17 civilians, including seven minors, in Sarkeguda village in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on June 28, 2012.

The report will be discussed in the Chhattisgarh Assembly on December 2. The Bhupesh Baghel led Chhattisgarh has government decided to table the report after a Cabinet meeting on November 30.

The judicial commission led by former Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Justice VK Agarwal mentioned that they have not found any evidence backing security forces’ claim that the villagers were Maoists who had open fired upon security official in a nighttime encounter.

The commission’s report reveals that the villagers had not fired any shots and the security personnel may have fired on the village gathering. The report further said that the security forces again went to village the next morning and killed a local in his house.

The villagers told the commission that leaders and priests of three neighbouring villages had called for a meeting that night to discuss arrangements for the upcoming Beej Pandum festival. They said halfway through their meeting, the security forces attacked them. Yug Chaudhury, Shalini Gera, and Sudha Bharadwaj represented the villagers.

The report claimed that coming across unexpected and suspicious sounds during the operation to bust a Maoist hideout may have triggered a “panic reaction in some members of the security force.”

They returned fire in “self-defence” and six of their personnel were injured in the firing. The report also stated that the documents prepared during police investigation showed “clear manipulation”.

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