RANCHI: Family members of the five Maoists who were gunned down on Monday alleged that it was a fake encounter as the police shot them in their heads even as they gathered to surrender.
Meanwhile, DGP Ajay Kumar Singh, who was on a day-long visit to Chatra on Tuesday to boost the morale of the security forces, rejected their allegations saying that there is no merit in the allegations made by the family members of the Maoists who were killed in a police encounter.
“There is no substance in the allegations as whatever happened is before everyone. Now, legal proceedings will continue on its own way,” said the DGP.
Notably, in a historic achievement by Jharkhand police, five hard-core Maoists -two Special Area Committee (SAC) members and three Sub-Zonal commanders, were gunned down by security forces at Lawalong in Jharkhand’s Chatra on Monday.
Those who were killed in police encounters include Sub-zonal Commanders Amar Gnjhu, Nandu and Sanjeev Bhuiyan, besides SAC members Gautam Paswan and Ajit Oroan alias Charlis. The SAC members had a bounty of Rs 25 lakh each, while the Sub-zonal commanders had prize money of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads. Family members of SAC Member Gautam Paswan said that they had reached Chatra with the intention to surrender, but were killed by police calling it an achievement for them.
“Police have killed my father in a fake encounter as they have been killed from close range on their heads. I will go to Human Rights Commission seeking justice from them,” said SAC member’s son Chandan Paswan. According to Chandan, since, the police does not want them to lead a dignified life hence; they killed his father so brutally.
“They also want us to join the Maoist group. This is not an encounter; it is just a cold blooded murder,” said Chandan Paswan. Gautam’s brother Girija Paswan informed that his brother was about to surrender before police and hence he was in regular contact with police, but he was killed in fake encounter. “My brother was shot in his head after he surrendered before police. Police officials had told us that Gautam Paswan will surrender before them very soon and hence, he was approaching Chatra district. In between, he was killed in a fake encounter,” said Girija Paswan.
A proper investigation must be done, for which, they will take the matter to the Court, he added.
Santosh Yadav, son-in-law of sub-zonal commander Ajay Yadav alias Nandu also sought justice calling the encounter as fake. “Had there been an encounter, there would have been firing from both the sides, but no firing was done from the other side. Moreover, all of them were shot on their heads, which is quite unlikely,” said Santosh Yadav.