The Chhattisgarh politics has been stirred after the judicial probe report of the Jhiram valley massacre was submitted to Governor Anusuiya Uike last Saturday.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday objected to the report being submitted to the Governor by the probe commission questioning the Centre’s role in the same.
“Whom the Centre wishes to shield in Jhiram matter, why are we now allowed to probe into the incident,” asked Baghel. Any judicial commission cannot visit the incident site and probe into the incident. The NIA has already submitted its final report, said Baghel, adding Congress party has promised a probe into the matter and formed an SIT after coming to power.
Despite several meetings with the Home Minister and many correspondences, the Centre did not hand over the case back to the State, alleged Baghel, saying they want justice, if Centre can’t probe into the massacre, it should let the State probe.
He questioned the NIA probe saying most of the people present on the incident spot weren’t questioned by the agency and the list includes people like Rajya Sabha MP Phoolo Devi Netam and others. He pointed out that Maoist commander Guisa Usendi lodged in the Andhra Pradesh jail is yet to be questioned in the case by NIA.
‘If the probe was incomplete, how come the report was submitted’
The Chief Minister said the commission formed in 2013 had extensions and in September last, the secretary of the commission wrote saying the probe was incomplete. “In between the Chairman, justice Prashant Mishra was transferred and we learnt from the media that the report has been submitted to the Governor,” added Baghel.
The Jhiram Ghati Inquiry Commission’s secretary and registrar (judicial) of Chhattisgarh High Court, Santosh Kumar Tiwari, had handed over the report to the Governor on Saturday.
The commission, headed by former Chhattisgarh High Court judge Prashant Kumar Mishra, was constituted on May 28, 2013, following the attack on May 25 during the previous BJP government.
Justice Mishra is now Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
“The judicial commission has violated the prescribed and accepted procedure by submitting its report to the Governor instead of the State government (cabinet). Normally, whenever a judicial commission is constituted under the Commission of Inquiry Act, the panel submits its report to the government,” state Congress chief Mohan Markam said in a press conference on Sunday.
Commission can submit the report to Governor, Amit Jogi
While referring to a verdict of the Supreme Court, Chhattisgarh Janta Congress head Amit Jogi on Monday justified the commission’s action of submitting a report to the Governor. If the report mentions the name of any State minister, the report could be handed over to the Governor or President of India, opined Jogi junior. Congress, however, rejected the example cited by Jogi.
BJP slams Congress
BJP state head Vishnu Dev Sai criticised the Congress party for opposing submission of the report to the Governor saying it’s done after examination of constitutional and legal aspects. The Congressmen are turning themselves into laughing stock publically, he added.
Ajit Jogi, Kawasi Lakma were in the dock after the incident
Late CM Ajit Jogi and Baghel minister Kawasi Lakma were in the scanner after the incident as BJP has pointed fingers at them on several occasions. Including then state Congress head Nandkumar Patel, his son Dinesh, Mahendra Karma and Uday Mudaliyar, 29 had died in the Jhiram valley attack on May 25, 2013. Injured in the assault, former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla had later during treatment.
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