The families of two villagers in Sukma, who were gunned down and described as Maoists by the security forces last week, have alleged that the encounter was “fake”, while also questioning claims that they were members of any banned outfit in the first place. The Chhattisgarh Police, however, dismissed the allegations.
According to the police, around 6 a.m. on September 5, Sodhi Deva (Sodhi Kosa, according to the families, and used henceforth) and Rava Deva were killed in retaliatory fire when they fired upon a party comprising a joint force of District Reserve Guard, District Force, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
In their statement, the police had further said that the two residents of Tadmetla village in south Bastar, one of the worst hit by Maoist insurgency in the country, were involved in the murder of a shikshadoot (teacher), Kawasi Sukka, and the current deputy sarpanch of the Tadmetla panchayat, Madvi Ganga, on June 28 and August 31, respectively.
Suspecting foul play
The families, making their first appearance in front of the media on Tuesday, rebutted each of these allegations as well as the sequence of events. Sodhi Nande, the widow of Sodhi Kosa, said that Kawasi Sukka was her brother and her husband could not have killed him. “He was taking care of our mother since the murder of my brother. Why would he kill him? It’s a conspiracy and a lie,” she said in Gondi, helped with a translation by Sodhi Kosa’s cousin, Sodhi Joga.
Both Sodhi Nande and Rava Deva’s wife Rava Soni said that their husbands had left home on September 4 together to the nearby village of Timmapuram on foot to collect some payment from one Muchaki Maana. Mr. Maana, who was present where the media interaction took place, confirmed that the two men had visited him, and left his home on his two-wheeler, which they had borrowed. This was the last anyone saw them alive.
From here on, the family’s account differs entirely from that of the police. Both women alleged that when the duo was returning home to Tadmetla, they were taken by policemen to the Chintalnar Police Station and shot dead around 8 p.m., that is, nearly 10 hours before the time mentioned in the police statement. The families base their allegations on what they have heard from their fellow villagers, who were around the police station and had seen the two men being taken to the Chintalnar Police Station.
The Hindu asked the police if the initial post-mortem report confirmed the timing and was told the report was awaited.
The families also claim that they were not allowed to perform the last rites of the deceased men in accordance with their community’s rituals, with the police using petrol to burn the bodies, and the families completing the cremation the day after the handover of the half-burnt bodies.
Claiming that the two men were paddy farmers, who also did other work, including running a grocery store and driving tractors on others’ farmlands, the families also presented their Aadhaar and PAN cards as well as bank or vehicle ownership documents to state that they worked within the purview of the official system. “Their work involved regular interaction with the police and other authorities. Plus, if they had past criminal involvement, why were they not arrested earlier? Which outlaw is allowed to roam free like that?” Sodhi Joga asked.
Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan, however, dismissed all the allegations and said that having identity documents in the core areas, that is, where the State and the Maoists are engaged in an intense battle, was not as unusual now as it had been in the past. Mr. Chavan further said that the bodies had been handed over in accordance with the rules, and the process had been videographed.
“We reiterate that the firing was done in self-defence and the duo had five criminal cases between them. Since the beginning of 2022, there have been nearly 660 surrenders. In contrast, the number of encounters have been 14 to 15. To the extent possible, we rely on arrests and surrenders, but if it’s a matter of life and death, we have the right to fire back in self-defence,” Mr. Chavan said.
The families of the deceased, and the villagers, are planning a protest on Wednesday, seeking “justice for the deceased duo”. Throwing their weight behind the demand are the Communist Party of India (CPI) and its leader, former MLA Manish Kunjam, who has written to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on the issue. Mr. Kunjam has also questioned the silence of the local (Konta Assembly constituency) MLA and Cabinet Minister Kawasi Lakma on the issue.
