JMM meets Rajnath, cries foul over killings
A delegation of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Sunday called on Union home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi to apprise him about the atrocities meted out to common man in the name of curbing Left wing extremism (LWE) in Jharkhand.
Led by JMM working president Hemant Soren, party MPs Sanjiv Kumar and Vijay Hansdak were also present at the meeting.
The leaders pointed out how innocent tribals were branded Maoists and subjected to inhuman torture and killings. They urged Singh to initiative highlevel probe into the matter.
Hemant informed Rajnath how Motilal Baske was brutally killed by the CRPF on June 9 in Dhoskatta under Madhuban police station in Giridih district.
He said the DGP visited the place after the incident and rewarded the police personnel for killing Baske, who was an innocent villager. Hemant said Baske was a cartman who used to take pilgrims to Parasnath hill that is famous for Jain pilgrimage. “He had a tea stall in the eastern part of the hill near Chandraprabhu Tonk as well,” he said.
He also highlighted that there were no criminal cases against him in any police station and the LWE operative in the area too issued communiqué stating that Baske was not their member. Others injured in the shootout incident have become disabled, he said.
In yet another incident on July 29 this year, one Sanichar of Soharaia village in Pirtand was arrested on suspicion of being an extremist.
Hemant said the villagers gheraoed Khokhra police stawhy tion after which the police wielded lathis on them injuring many. “The police realised Rs 10,000 in the name of gate repair of the police station from Sanichar’s wife to release her husband,” he added.
The JMM leaders questioned Sanichar was released and why he was arrested if he was not an accused.
Similarly, 12 persons, including children, were killed in Palamu on June 2, 2015 in an encounter.
The CID investigating the killings was yet to come to conclusion, they pointed out.
Hemant said JMM was against killing of civilians and taking law in hand by the LWE group. He, however, expressed concern over the growing number of incidents of police excesses on common man in the name of curbing LWE.
THE JMM LEADERS QUESTIONED WHY SANICHAR WAS RELEASED AND WHY HE WAS ARRESTED IF HE WAS NOT AN ACCUSED.