Thaindian News

Ranchi, Dec 15 (IANS) Acquittal by the Jharkhand High Court of four suspected Maoists who were awarded death sentence for the 2007 massacre of 19 people, including the son of former chief minister Babulal Marandi, has put a question mark on the efficiency of the police in pursuing cases against Maoists.

This is not the first time that Jharkhand police have lost a case against Maoists leading to the release of the rebels. The three suspected Maoists accused of killing former minister Ramesh Singh Munda were also acquitted due to absence of witnesses last year.

The four men acquitted Thursday were awarded death sentence by a Giridih court in May this year. They are Jitan Marandi, Manoj Rajuwar, Anil Ram and Chatrapati Mandal.

Maoist guerrillas had attacked Chilkhari village during a cultural programme on Oct 24, 2007 night and sprayed the assembled villagers with gunfire. In the attack, 12 were also injured. The programme was attended by Nunulal Marandi and Anup Marandi, brother and son of former chief minister Babulal Marandi. Anup Marandi was killed in the attack while Nunulal escaped.

“Police failed to produce key witnesses like Nunulal Marandi, who managed to escape the Maoist gun fire. Police failed to produce any witnesses of Chilkhari village where the incident took place. The organisers of the cultural programme, the anchor, generator operator, ticket collector and others were not made witness in the case,” S.K. Murari, lawyer to one of the suspected Maoists, Jitan Marandi, told IANS.

Police produced four sets of witnesses. The first set of witnesses had six people, some of whom had criminal cases against them. Some of them are former Maoists who surrendered before police. All the six stay 40 to 70 km away from the place of the incident.

There were contradictions in the witness’ statements regarding the firing. Of the six, some said the bullets were fired from the front, while others said the firing was from the backside. According to a witness, the Maoists went on the stage and fired bullets. No bullet was found on the stage. Around 57 bullets were found on the ground where people were sitting.

Other witnesses said that Maoists were in army dress, but the FIR says the Maoists were in civil dress. The informant of the case and bodyguard of Nunulal Marandi did not recognize any suspected Maoists in the identity parade.

The personal bodyguard of Nunu Marandi was made witness in the case.

“The bunch of contradictions in the statements of the witnesses and unsavory records of the witnesses gave benefit of doubt and helped the four to be released by the high court,” aid Murari.

Jharkhand police are now planning to appeal against the judgment. Chilkhari was a high profile massacre in which the son of a former chief minister was killed. The cultural programme was organised to challenge the Maoists in their home turf.

(Nityanand Shukla can be contacted at nityanand.s@ians.in)