Jharkhand mulls witness protection law
April 26th, 2011 - 6:11 pm ICT by IANSRanchi, April 26 (IANS) Jolted by the acquittal of several hardcore Maoists, Jharkhand is planning to formulate a witness protection law in the state so that key witnesses do not turn hostile in court, a top official said Tuesday.
“The government will soon formulate a witness protection act. We will also ensure speedy trial of the arrested Maoists. The witness should be provided security and arrangements should be made to ferry them to court,” Jharkhand’s Director General of Police (DGP) Gauri Shanker Rath told IANS.
Police sources say that Maoists are acquitted in absence of concrete evidence. Even police officers are scared to turn up as witnesses in court.
“If a Maoist is involved in an ambush or a landmine blast, we find it hard to prove the charges. We hardly find witnesses and even if witnesses are found, they turn hostile in court,” a police officer told IANS.
In Jharkhand, more than 15 hardcore Maoists have been acquitted in the past five to six years.
Three Maoist guerrillas accused of killing five policemen, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Bundu block of Ranchi district, were acquitted last year due to lack of evidence. Even police officers who were made witnesses in the case turned hostile in court.
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- Two Maoists surrender in Jharkhand - May 21, 2011
- Court acquits four suspected Maoists in 2007 massacre - Dec 15, 2011
- Court acquits 12 of killing 13 Jharkhand cops - May 21, 2012
- 'Surrendered Maoists neglected by Jharkhand government' - Jun 19, 2011
- Jharkhand police failed to present key witness in massacre case - Dec 15, 2011
- Bengal's soft-pedalling on Maoists affects Jharkhand: Official - Aug 04, 2011
- Landmines, detonators recovered from Maoist hideout - Oct 05, 2010
- Five landmines recovered in Jharkhand - Dec 16, 2011
- 13 Jharkhand policemen killed in Maoist ambush - Jan 21, 2012
- Maoists shot policemen in head, burnt two - Jan 22, 2012
- Five cops killed in Jharkhand landmine blast - Jul 16, 2010
- 40 KG IED recovered in Jharkhand - Jan 03, 2012
- 5 Maoists, including 2 women, arrested in Jharkhand - Apr 15, 2011
- Jharkhand Police admit mistakes, to probe ambush killing - May 04, 2011
Tags: acquittal, ambush, concrete evidence, deputy superintendent, dgp, director general, gauri, landmine blast, maoist, maoist guerrillas, maoists, police officer, police officers, police sources, policemen, protection act, rath, shanker, speedy trial, witness protection