New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Two senior supreme court lawyers Friday accused the Chhattisgarh police of detaining one of their juniors in the state’s Maoist-hit Dantewada district overnight and beating him up while he was in their custody.
Advocates Colin Gonsalves and Prashant Bhushan told reporters that their junior colleague Alan Toppo and a local tribal activist were “kidnapped” Thursday evening by Dantewada police and were taken to Bijapur district where both were kept in police custody for the entire night.

The two advocates said that though Toppo was released by the police on Friday morning, the tribal, Kopa Kumjum was still being detained by the police without any valid grounds.

They said the police released Toppo only after detaining him for the entire night during which “they beat him black and blue”.

The advocates said the two were picked up by the police as they were undertaking some research and collecting data on the status of the public distribution system, mid-day meal scheme, “aanganwadi” scheme and other similar schemes in the district.

The lawyer was collecting data to file a lawsuit in the apex court to show how the state government has let such welfare schemes collapse to starve the tribals residing in the district and force them to join Salva Judum camps.

Demanding immediate release of Kunjum, the lawyers asked the state government to take action against the police officials involved in kidnapping and beating of their colleague.