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Rights fora demand probe into encounter

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI NOV. 27. Describing the recent police encounter in the Uthangkarai area in Dharmapuri district as "fake" and refuting that Ravindran was "killed" in police action, the Tamil Nadu Human Rights Protection Centre, the Revolutionary Writers' Association, Andhra Pradesh, and a joint fact-finding committee comprising civil and human rights activists, have demanded that the Tamil Nadu Government order an impartial judicial probe by an independent agency.

(Ravindran, a naxalite, was killed in an ``encounter'' at Perungadu Kattu Kottai within the Marandahalli police limits on January 10, 2000.)

Addressing a press conference here today, Chalasani Prasad of the RWA said the Government could tackle problems arising out of naxalites by holding "talks", without any pre-condition, on the lines of the recent exercise held with representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka.

Claiming that Ravindran and Siva, who was killed in the Sunday encounter, were not engaged in "unlawful activities", Mr. Prasad said the police could have initiated action under the law had they found them involved in terrorist activities. "Instead of waiting for the law to take its course, how could the police kill people who are engaged in a people's movement?''

K. Kranthi Chaitanya, representing the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, described the police action as "excesses" in the guise of combing operations against "naxalites".

Hari Babu, district coordinator, HRPC, Tamil Nadu, gave the names of nine more persons who have been kept under "illegal custody".

Prisoners observe fast

Our Salem Special Correspondent reports:

Eleven inmates of the Salem Central Prison, belonging to the Maoist Communist Centre, observed a day's token fast on Wednesday, to protest police action against the naxalites.

According to sources, the prisoners skipped breakfast and lunch, but they took supper. They have been kept in the prison in connection with the murder of the Dhali panchayat president, Venkatesan.

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