NHRC summons Chhattisgarh officials over case against professors

The accused have been raising their voice against the police’s alleged misconduct in tribal areas

The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday summoned top police and government officials of Chhattisgarh in connection with filing of murder case against activists and academics earlier this month.

Taking suo motu cognisance of “nationwide outcry and protest” against the FIR, the NHRC asked the Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary and Inspector-General of Police (Bastar range) S.R.P. Kalluri to explain “the allegations of hostility and abuse of power against human rights defenders.”

On November 5, an FIR was registered at the Tongpal police station against Delhi University professor Nandini Sundar and Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Archana Prasad, among others, for the murder of a tribal man. The accused academics and activists had been raising their voice against the Chhattisgarh police’s alleged misconduct in tribal areas.

Killed by Maoists

As per media reports, the victim, Shamnath Baghel, was killed by Maoists as he was leading a campaign against their activities since April this year. The professors had apparently visited Bastar in May, while Baghel’s murder took place in November. The NHRC observed that there did not appear to be an apparent connection between the visit of the rights activists and the murder.

Activists have alleged that the FIR was lodged to settle scores against the academics for their criticism of the police. Prof. Sundar had recently filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the alleged atrocities committed by the Bastar police, including the burning of tribal homes.

Taking judicial notice of the petition, the NHRC observed that the Central Bureau of Investigation had found Mr. Kalluri “responsible for the burning of homes.”

‘Ploy to stop entry’

With the NHRC already looking into possible rights violations by the Chhattisgarh police in the past, the FIR against the activists was seen as a “ploy to stop their entry and visit to the tribal areas for exposing their [police] misdeeds.”

“The Commission is deeply disturbed by the state of affairs in Chhattisgarh over the last one year or more,” said the NHRC, asking the Chief Secretary and the IGP to appear before it on November 30.