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SC to Chhattsigarh – Don’t aggravate Maoist situation, find peaceful solution

A view of the Supreme Court of India.
The Hindu

A view of the Supreme Court of India.

The court draws assurance from Chhattisgarh government that Nandini Sundar will not be arrested till Nov. 15

The Supreme Court on Friday observed that there is an aggravation of Maoist situation and the government should take a “pragmmatic view of life” and find a “peaceful solution”, and drew an assurance from the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh government that it will not arrest or detain Delhi University professor Nandini Sundar till November 15, the next day of hearing.

“You are not taking the situation seriously. The whole thing is being aggravated. You have to find a peaceful situation… you have to take a pragmmatic view of life,” a Bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and A.K. Goel observed.

“Activists have become enemies now,” senior advocate Ashok Desai, representing Ms. Sundar, said.

The court was hearing an application filed by Ms. Sundar for a stay and quashing of an FIR filed against her and three others, a DU professor and two activists, for the murder of a tribal person in the insurgency-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. The police claim that the FIR was filed on the basis of a complaint allegedly filed by Baghel’s wife.

Mr. Desai called the FIR “astonishing” as they had visited the area in May and are being booked for a crime committed on November.

Appearing for the State, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he had “authentic contemparenous records” to show that there is more to the case against Ms. Sundar and the others “than meets the eye”.

“So is this Kalluri [Inspector General of Police S.R.P. Kalluri of Bastar Range] an accused by CBI?” Justice Lokur asked.

“No, no all he is not remotely connected in the case. The case has laready been transferred to headquarters CID… I have something to place before the court,” Mr. Mehta submitted.

Justice Lokur said the action against the accused should then be stayed till the next hearing.

When Mr. Mehta vehemently objected to this, Mr. Desai said the law officer should curb his “enthusiasm”.

“I am objecting to this for the sake of the country,” Mr. Mehta said.

The court posted the case for November 15, assuring Ms. Sundar’s side that the court would protect her in case of any move to arrest her within that time.

The FIR was lodged against Ms. Sundar, Archana Prasad (JNU Professor), Vineet Tiwari (from Delhi’s Joshi Adhikar Sansthan), Sanjay Parate (Chhattisgarh CPI [Marxist] State Secretary) and others along with Maoists for the murder of Baghel.

They were booked under section 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 and 149 of IPC at the Tongpal police station.

Naxals allegedly killed Shamnath Baghel with sharp weapons on late night of Friday (November 4) at his residence in Nama village under the Kumakoleng gram panchayat in Tongpal area, around 450 km away from here.http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dont-aggravate-maoist-situation-find-peaceful-solution-supreme-court-to-government/article9333358.ece

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  1. The court should direct the government to invite the concerned parties and human rights activists for talks and find ways in protecting the fundemental rights of adivasis and the resources of their lands for peaceful living.

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