Condemning the alleged ‘extra-judicial killings’ by the police of undertrials in Alair in Telangana and woodcutters in Seshachalam forests in Andhra Pradesh, Human Rights Forum has demanded an inquiry by an impartial agency into the two incidents.
The 20 woodcutters, who were shot dead by the police in Seshachalam forests on April 7, are from poor families and 13 of them belong to the Malayali tribes of Tamil Nadu, HRF general secretary V.S. Krishna, who visited the scene of the ‘encounter’ killings in Seshachalam forests and visited the families of a number of the victims, said speaking at a dharna staged here on Thursday to protest against the two incidents.
The HRF has made a detailed submission on the issue to the National Human Rights Commission that is holding its meeting in Hyderabad on Thursday, Mr. Krishna said.
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He demanded that the Supreme Court take cognisance of the incidents and order filing of cases against all the persons involved in both the incidents. Further, both the incidents need to be investigated by an independent agency, preferably the Central Bureau of Investigations, he said.
The incident reflects the anti-people policies of the governments at the Centre and both the states. “Chandrababu Naidu is a tyrant and just like any other tyrant is afraid. That is why he is encouraging such extra-judicial killings by the police,” CPI (M) Visakhapatnam district secretary Lokanadham alleged.
Representatives of a number of civil society organisations also participated in the dharna.
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