NHRC notice to Chhattisgarh over attack on Swami Agnivesh
March 30th, 2011 - 5:37 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, March 30 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to Chhattisgarh’s chief secretary and police chief over the alleged attack last week on social activist Swami Agnivesh by members of the Salwa Judum civil militia.
“The commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that a large group comprising special police officers of Chhattisgarh police and members of the Salwa Judum attacked Swami Agnivesh on March 26, 2011 as he attempted to deliver relief to a village reportedly torched by the security forces in Dantewada district,” a statement said Wednesday.
“Considering the issues raised in the report, the commission today observed that the entire incident is a matter of great concern, and issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh calling for their factual reports within four weeks in the matter,” it added.
The report referred to the aftermath of an incident in which three men were killed, three women were sexually assaulted and about 300 homes, granaries and woodsheds were torched by the security forces during a five day anti-Maoist operation in the villages of Tarmetla, Timapuram and Morpalli in Dantewada, an NHRC official said.
Swami Agnivesh had gone to the affected villages to deliver clothes, blankets and other relief material, when he was attacked twice in six hours by a mob at a Salwa Judum camp at Dornapal, the official added.
Salwa Judum is an anti-Maoist movement supported by the Chhattisgarh government.
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- Maoists kill Salwa Judum cadre in Chhattisgarh - Sep 06, 2010
- Dantewada area not fully in our control: Raman Singh (Interview) - Mar 31, 2011
- Chhattisgarh house paralysed over Dantewada rampage, minister blames Maoists - Mar 29, 2011
- No starvation death confirmed in Dantewada: Official - Apr 07, 2011
- Court slams Chhattisgarh on issue of burning tribal houses (Lead) - Apr 18, 2011
- Don't divide people into pro, anti-Maoist supporters: Apex court - May 06, 2011
- Stop using tribals in Salwa Judum, apex court tells Chhattisgarh (Lead) - Jul 05, 2011
- Supreme Court stops Chhattisgarh from using tribals in Salwa Judum - Jul 05, 2011
- From hunter to hunted: Salwa Judum leaders have nowhere to hide - Sep 05, 2010
- Panel to probe alleged excesses in Chhattisgarh village - Mar 24, 2011
- Chhattisgarh begins disarming Salwa Judum - Jul 06, 2011
Tags: alleged attack, chhattisgarh government, chief secretary, cognizance, director general, factual reports, human rights commission, large group, maoist, maoist movement, national human rights commission, nhrc, police chief, relief material, salwa judum, security forces, six hours, special police officers, swami, three women