Congress pushes for SIT probe into Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Jheerum Valley

Amid a tug-of-war between the Centre and Chhattisgarh authorities over a contemporary case registered by the state police final month in reference to the Jheerum valley ambush by Maoists in 2013, the ruling Congress social gathering within the state requested why the BJP “was afraid of an SIT probe” into the assault.

It additionally alleged a nexus between the opposition BJP and left wing extremists and requested why the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is attempting to take over the probe right into a contemporary FIR lodged final month by Jitendra Mudliyar, son of Uday Mudliyar who was killed within the Jheerum assault.

In one of many largest hits on politicians, Maoists had attacked a convoy of Congress leaders throughout the social gathering’s ‘Parivartan Rally’ in Jheerum valley on May 25, 2013, killing 27 folks. Among the victims have been the then state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, former chief of opposition Mahendra Karma and former union minister Vidya Charan Shukla who died of accidents a number of days later.

“Several incidents have come to light in the past that indicate BJP had been working hand-in-glove with the Maoists”, state’s Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey and Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar alleged in a joint press convention.

Recently a BJP chief was arrested in Dantewada on fees of serving to Maoists, Choubey mentioned citing different related situations.

The ministers requested why the BJP was afraid of a probe right into a “conspiracy angle” into the Jhiram incident.

“The BJP does not want the conspiracy angle into the Jhiram attack to be probed. After the NIA took over the probe, they declared Maoist leaders Ganpati and Ramanna as absconders in March 2014 and released information about confiscating their properties in the media. But surprisingly, the names of the two leaders were not mentioned in the charge sheet filed by the NIA in September that year. The NIA investigation into the case derailed after the NDA government came to power in 2014,” they claimed.

The conspiracy angle was not even within the phrases of reference of the probe Commission arrange by the earlier BJP authorities into the incident. The earlier authorities within the state additionally ignored the demand for a CBI enquiry into the incident, the ministers claimed.

After the Congress got here to energy, it constituted a particular investigation workforce to probe the incident and sought the ultimate report of the case from the NIA in order that conspiracy angle might be investigated. But the NIA refused to share any paperwork with the SIT claiming that the probe was incomplete even because the standing of the case on its web site confirmed the probe was accomplished, Akbar mentioned.

Last month, Jitendra Mudliyar lodged a contemporary case at Darbha police station looking for to probe the conspiracy angle into the incident. Subsequently, the NIA which works underneath the Union authorities, filed an software earlier than the particular courtroom (Jagdalpur) on June 16 looking for to take over the probe into the contemporary case, he mentioned.

The two ministers alleged that the Jheerum assault was a contract killing and requested why the NIA is attempting to take over the probe into the brand new case.

Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik rubbished the allegations and requested the Congress to submit any proof it had.

“When the Jhiram valley incident had taken place, UPA was in power at the Centre. NIA conducted its investigation according to the points of investigation fixed by the then UPA rule. Hence, the Congress should have faith on the investigation conducted by the NIA”, Kahusik mentioned.

He requested the Congress to be affected person and place confidence in the investigation.