BSF orders internal inquiry into Kanker incident

From The Times of India

Press Trust Of India

New Delhi, September 11, 2010

First Published: 14:06 IST(11/9/2010)
Last Updated: 14:08 IST(11/9/2010)

In the wake of allegations that its personnel had misbehaved and beaten up villagers in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district following a search operation, the BSF has launched an internal inquiry into it. The local administration has already launched a magisterial inquiry after people from Panchangi village in the district filed a written complaint with the district collector.

"I have asked my officers and men to fully cooperate with the magisterial inquiry. We have also started our own internal inquiry which is being conducted by DIG (Special Operations) Ram Avtar," BSF Director General Raman Srivastava told PTI.

Srivastava said, "My force is a very disciplined force. We never indulge in such acts. But if the inquiry finds someone guilty, he will not be spared.

I will never be part of any cover-up." Official sources said the BSF and the local police had conducted a cordon and search operation in the village recently. While BSF was in charge of the cordon, sources said local police had conducted the search operation.

Panchangi village is close to the site where a Maoist attack left three BSF jawans and two policemen dead on August 29. Two days backs, BSF jawans had arrested seven Naxalites from Pakhanjur and Alor forests. Six of the seven arrested were women including one who had allegedly opened fire on security forces on August 29.

Interestingly, most of the arrested Naxals hailed from the same village whose residents have complained about police atrocity. Sources said the cordon and search operation was conducted in the village following inputs that Naxals were present there and Maoists, who were injured in the firing on August 29, were being treated there.

While not completely ruling out any high-handedness on the part of security forces, sources said the complaint could be a ploy by the Naxals to put to halt any police operation in that particular village and those nearby it.