RAIPUR: A one-man Judicial Commission probing the killing of BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi in its preliminary observation has ruled out any conspiracy angle in the incident and gave a virtual clean chit to the police citing “no security lapses” on the part of the police.
The Commission headed by the retired Chief Justice Satish Kumar Agnihotri stated that the investigation process is continuing and the statements of the witnesses are to be recorded. He said that in the investigation so far the murder of the BJP legislator is a Maoist incident where no conspiracy or security lapses were evident.
The Commission which had its first meeting at Raipur has summoned 11 people for their statement in the given case. Five among them couldn’t turn up citing their engagement in the by-poll election and the remaining requested to postpone the hearing owing to the ill-health and other reasons. The Commission has fixed the next date of hearing on October 12.
The opposition BJP nevertheless has strongly reacted against the observations given by Justice Agnihotri and demanded the dissolution of the Commission as the given statements suggest its working on the direction of the state government.
”We will lodge our complaint against Justice S K Agnihotri with the President of India, Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Governor and the Election Commission of India”, said state chief of BJP legal cell Naresh Gupta.
Barely two days before the first phase of polling in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, Mandavi and four police personnel were killed in a powerful IED blast triggered by the Maoists at Syamgiri in Dantewada, south Chhattisgarh on April 9 this year.