A year on, magisterial probe into Kasnasur encounter far from over

Nagpur: It’s been a year when 40 so-called Maoist cadres were gunned down in two back-to-back fire exchanges within 24 hours at Kasnasur-Boriya and Nainer, but the magisterial inquiry into the nation’s biggest encounter has so far remained only on paper.
Following orders from Gadchiroli district collector Shekhar Singh, C-60 commandos of Gadchiroli police on April 22 last year tasted unprecedented success gunning down 34 alleged Maoists, including two DVCs Sreenu and Sainath, crossing over to Chhattisgarh across Indravati river. On April 23, DVC Nandu and five of his close aides were shot dead in another encounter.

Initially, two inquiries were initiated after the encounters. The Etapalli sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) was supposed to conduct inquiry into the encounter at Kasnasur while SDM Aheri had been entrusted the probe into the Nainer incident.

Collector Singh had, on a routine course, ordered the magisterial inquiries under provision 176 of criminal procedure code (CrPC). Explaining the delay in inquiries, he said, “The post of sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) had remained vacant for long as the officers concerned were shifted out. Now, the two inquiries would be merged and taken over by tehsildar of Bhamragarh.”

Singh said the inquiry report is expected in another two months. Last year, Singh had told TOI that he will ensure that the inquiries would be completed at the earliest. “We are recording statements of all the persons concerned,” he said.

TOI had visited Kasnasur on April 23 when around 11 bodies were found floating in Indravati river. Eatables, utensils, drying clothes, toothpaste, shampoo pouches and such were found at the encounter site but no bullet cases. There was a mark on a tree trunk only at one place which seemed to be of a bullet.

At Nainer, TOI was told by the villagers that they had barely heard more than couple of gun shots while police had claimed to have killed six Maoists.

There was a spate of controversies and allegations which marred the mood of the jubilant Gadchiroli police, followed by the visit of a fact-finding team.

Human rights activist and Bhamragarh zilla parishad member, Lalsu Nagoti, said post-Independence tribals have lost maximum number of lives due to oppression from police and Maoists. “Even in Kasnasur, police killed several unarmed tribals in the name of encounter with Maoists. Eight people from Gattepalli, who had left home for attending a marriage, are still missing,” he said.

“In Chhattisgarh, tribal villages were set on fire by the security forces in the name of action against Maoists. It’s a pan India issue,” said Nagoti and added that the magisterial inquiry into the encounters, “which involved serious violations of human rights”, should not have been taken lightly.

Former DGP PKB Chakraborty said the magistrate should have taken not more than one month or so for the inquiry. “There was no reason for dragging an inquiry over three months though there are issues like posts remaining vacant, long distances and finding family members of 40 victims,” he said.

SP, Gadchiroli, Shailesh Balkawade said the encounters had brought nationwide fame for the C-60 commando unit, prompting the ministry of home affairs to issue a statement that other states too should emulate the district’s specialized unit.

“The success of Kasnasur-Nainer lifted the police morale significantly. The faith and confidence in the security forces also increased in remote tribal places,” he said. The SP agreed that the encounters were a turning point in the four-decade-old rebel movement “which is now losing ground”.