India - fake encounters - true massacres of Modi's regime

UCL’s Bakoria report could put cops in spot
Ranchi: Palamu police is likely to face fresh trouble in the Bakoria (Palamu) encounter case of June 8 with PUCL investigation questioning the veracity of encounter spot as has been mentioned by police and describing at least eight in the group to be civilians with no criminal record. The Bakoria encounter occurred on the intervening night of June 8 and 9 under Satbarwa PS of Palamu in which 12 people were killed. Those killed in the encounter were branded as Maoists by the police.
Led by the district police, the encounter was later joined by 209 CoBRA battalion and 134 battalion of the CRPF. Jharkhand unit of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) conducted an independent inquiry, taking suo moto cognizance of the encounter on basis of media reports and notice of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), served to the state government on June 16. Four-member-team of the state unit that went for inquiry on June 18-19 concluded that there are glaring evidences to show that the spot of encounter, as mentioned by police, in the FIR is not true.
PUCL state vice-president Stain Swami while addressing media here on Saturday, released a copy of the inquiry report and said that the encounter spot, adjacent to the crusher of one Jumrati miyan in Bhelwahi tola, under Bakoria village of Satbarwa police station had no sign of encounter. “According to the FIR lodged by police, following the encounter, security forces fired 200 rounds in retaliation to the Maoists but ,” he said arguing that despite such heavy firing there were no traces of bullet marks on the spot. “The place of occurrence is a flat ground with no tree or elevation to seek guard for firing during the encounter,” Stain pointed.

The team interviewed over 40 people including villagers of Bhelwahi (spot), family members of deceased and policemen and recorded their statements audio visually. PUCL general secretary of Ranchi unit Anand Kumar Singh said that out of the 12 people killed in encounter, four were minors including Charku Tirkey (12) of Amwatikar, Latehar, Mahendra Singh Kherwar (15) of Heratu, Umesh Singh Khairwar (16) of Garu, Latehar and Budhram Oraon (17) of Manika Latehar whereas fifth—Sakendra Parahiya (18) was a member of the primitive tribe group having no criminal records. “Some of these were students in the local government schools,” he said. Vijay Tirkey elder brother of Charku has accused Anuragji of forcibly taking away his brother from home on evening of June 8.