Some commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force’s elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) allegedly thrashed the woman sarpanch and other villagers of Chintagufa in Sukma district of the Bastar region on Thursday.
“My mother Pudiyami Muiye and some other villagers were attacked by the CoBRA men on Thursday. My mother suffered grievous injuries and she is not even able to move now,” Pudiyami Kosa, son of the sarpanch, Ms. Pudiyami Muiye, told The Hindu on the phone.
A team of journalists visited the village on Friday.
According to Saleem Sheikh, a journalist based in Sukma who led the team, many villagers claimed that they were attacked by the “force.” “They [the villagers] had gathered near the police camp to protest against the incident when we reached there. Six other villagers have suffered injuries. Most of the villagers had fled the area after the attack on Thursday and returned on ,” said Mr. Sheikh.
According to Mr. Pudiyami Kosa, his mother was attacked when she was alone at her home. “They accused her of being a Maoist supporter and thrashed her,” he said.
Mr. Sheikh said some personnel from the district police force tried to stop the CoBRA men when they were beating up the sarpanch.
Refutes chargeThe CRPF, however, refuted the villagers’ allegations. “I spoke to the company commander of CoBRA and the SHO [Station House Officer] in Chintagufa. They denied any beating happened,” said Dinesh Pratap Upadhyay, Deputy Inspector-General of the CRPF, Dantewada range.
