Ruckus in C'garh Assembly over death of two 'Naxal' youths

Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Chhattisgarh Assembly today as the main opposition Congress accused Bastar police of killing innocent tribals in the name of anti-Maoist operations, and demanded action.
As many as 36 opposition MLAs were suspended after they trooped into the well of the House, raising slogans. The suspension was revoked later.
State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and two other party MLAs Deepak Baij and Mohan Markam raised the issue through calling-attention motion, saying Sonku Ram, a school-going boy, and his friend Bijlu Ram Kashyap were murdered by Bastar police after branding them as Maoists.
"Sonku was a regular student...The duo had gone to their relative's place to inform about demise of a child in the family," Baghel said.

They decided to spend the night at Sanguel village. In the wee hours of September 24, at around 4 am, security forces entered the house, dragged out the two to a secluded spot and shot them without investigation, state Congress chief alleged.
Bastar police later told media that the two were Naxals, while the state government, before the High Court, said the duo were not killed in a gun-battle and a murder case was registered against unidentified assailants, Baghel said.

Contradictory statements put a question mark on credibility and style of functioning of police, he said.
Denying the allegation, Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra informed the House that bodies of two Maoists, a muzzle- loading gun, .12 bore gun, explosives, Naxal literature were recovered from Sanguel forests under Burgum police station limits of Bastar district on September 24, 2016, after an encounter between police and security forces.

A magisterial enquiry was also ordered, the Minister
informed.
"There was no contradiction in the statements of the state government and Bastar police," Paikra added.
Congress MLA from Dantewada Devti Karma had filed a petition in the High Court over the incident, and the matter was sub-judice, so not much can be said at this stage, he said.
Paikra also claimed that anti-Maoist operations had started yielding good results in Bastar; 120 Maoists had been gunned down so far this year while 834 were arrested.
Baghel sought to know how long the two slain youths were associated with Naxalism and if any cases were registered against them in the past.

Paikra said thousands of youths were associated with the Naxals's 'Baal Sangham', and it was not possible to find out details of each of them.
Angered by the reply, the opposition started shouting slogans against the government.
Congress also alleged that its MLA Devti Karma and local public representatives of the opposition were being threatened for supporting the family of the victims, and sought an enquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court or a CBI probe.
They also demanded action against Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) SRP Kalluri, accusing him of being responsible for a series of fakeencounters.

But the Home Minister said magisterial probe was underway and no other enquiry was needed.
Not satisfied, the opposition including 35 Congress legislators and the MLA Amit Jogi walked into the well, shouting slogans, demanding action against the IG and other police officials.
They were suspended under Assembly rules which provide for automatic suspension of any member who troops into to the well. The Speaker later revoked the suspension.