Start talks with Maoists: Supreme Court to Centre, Chhattisgarh

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and the Chhattisgarh government to initiate peace talks to end Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh.

A bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and A.K. Goel gave the advise to Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Centre as well as the state of Chhattisgarh, hearing a petition filed by social activist and JNU Professor Nandini Sundar.

The bench reminded the ASG about the message from the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for the resolution of the Colombian government’s war with Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, a guerilla movement) as well as the Nagaland and Mizoram settlements.

Mr Mehta promised to take up the matter with the government at the highest levels. The bench proposed peace talks, while the CB) apprised the bench about the results of its probe into the violence perpetrated by the security forces in the garb of “combing operations” in March 2011 in Morpalli, Tadmetla and Timpuram villages, as per the orders of the then SSP, Dantewada, S.R.P.Kalluri.

The CBI told the court that in the course of the operations, three men were killed – Madvi Sula of Bhanda Morpalli, Badse Bhima of Pulanpad and Manu Yadav of Pulanpad. Three women were raped, two in Morpalli and one in Tadmetla. Thirty-three houses in Morpalli, 59 houses in Timapuram and 160 houses in Tadmetla village, were burnt. When Swami Agnivesh tried to deliver relief to the villages on March 26, 2011, he and his companions were brutally attacked by Salwa Judum leaders at Dornapal. July 2011, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI enquiry into these incidents of violence.

Petitioner Nandini Sundar said the CBI enquiry has totally exposed the police lie that the houses were burnt by the Naxalites, and instead shows that these unlawful activities were carried out by the Special Police Officers/police/CRPF.

The CBI report, she said notes that 323 SPOs/policemen as well as 114 personnel of Commando Battalian for Resolute Action (COBRA) and 30 personnel of CRPF participated in the operation. It also points to the concealment of rapes and murders by the Chhattisgarh police. The fact that the SPOs have been held responsible also shows that the Chhattisgarh State Government’s action in converting all SPOs into Armed Auxiliary Forces, with effect from the date of the apex court judgment of July 5, 2011.

After taking note of the CBI report, the Bench directed that a copy of the report be given to Nandini Sundar, represented by senior counsel Ashok Desai for her response. The Bench also noted that in cases of rapes and murders where the victims were unable to identify the perpetrators, they should be give compensation for which a dedicated fund is available.