Durg (Chhattisgarh) [India], September 6 (ANI): As a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court convicts 10 Maoists for the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack that killed the entire top state leadership of Congress, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday doubled down on his longstanding “political conspiracy” claim while questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for getting a stay on the reconstitution of a judicial commission by his government in 2021.
The Jhiram Ghati Inquiry Commission, headed by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, submitted its report to then Governor Anusuiya Uikey in November 2021. Within days, then Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel reconstituted a judicial commission to probe the incident.
“The commission (Jhiram Ghati Inquiry Commission) that was formed submitted an incomplete report. We had formed a committee of two members who were retired judges. Why did the Bharatiya Janata Party people go and get a stay?” Baghel told ANI.
The Chhattisgarh High Court had stayed the proceedings of the reconstituted judicial commission after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by then Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJP leader Dharamlal Kaushik.
Baghel also accused the NIA of “creating hurdles” by “repeatedly” going to the courts after the Congress government formed a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2019 to probe the “larger conspiracy” angle behind the deadly Maoist attack.
“When we formed the SIT, I spoke about the ‘parchi’ (evidence) at that very time. So why did the NIA repeatedly go to court and create hurdles? They (NIA) went to the NIA court. When they lost there, they went to the High Court. When they lost there, they went to the Supreme Court. By the time the Supreme Court's order came, our government was gone. Why wasn't it done? And yes, the ‘parchi’ is there,” the former chief minister said.
The senior Congress leader was responding to the remarks made by Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, who questioned Baghel’s claims of possessing proof regarding the “larger conspiracy” behind the Jhiram Ghati Maoist attack.
Baghel questioned the NIA for removing the names of top Naxal leaders involved in the Jhiram Valley attack and for not interrogating senior Communist Party of India (Maoist) leader Gudsa Usendi (alias GVK Prasad) after he surrendered.
“I want to ask Vishnu Deo Sai, why wasn't the SIT (Special Investigation Team) formed to investigate after the Supreme Court's order? Why did the NIA remove the names of the major Naxal leaders involved in Jhiram Valley? Why wasn't the security lapse investigated? Who was involved in the conspiracy? Statements were not even taken from all those who were affected. The NIA court had asked to take statements from Ramanna and Gudsa Usendi, who had surrendered. Why didn't the NIA do it?” he said.
Ramanna (alias Ravulu Srinivas) was designated as one of the key conspirators behind the deadly Jhiram attack. Baghel had earlier alleged that his name was not mentioned in the chargesheet. Ramanna, who died of a heart attack in 2019, was a member of CPI-Maoist’s central committee and secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DSZC).
Earlier, the Chhattisgarh CM criticised Baghel for labelling the verdict in the Jhiram Ghati Maoist attack case as “incomplete justice”. “It was their (Congress) government in Centre. The former CM (Bhupesh Baghel) used to have proof in his pocket. He should have given it to the NIA,” Sai said in a press conference.
Reacting to this, Baghel said that the “evidence” was in the open, as not even one of the major Naxal leaders has been convicted. He highlighted that the then Chief Minister Raman Singh and then Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar were not even questioned.
“Why wasn't the DGP (Director General of Police) questioned? Why wasn't the Chief Secretary questioned? Why wasn't the then Chief Minister questioned? Why wasn't the then IG Intelligence questioned? And why weren't they made accused? What investigation was conducted against them? The ‘parchi’ is an open slip,” he said.
“When was Raman Singh questioned? When was Sunil Kumar, the then Chief Secretary, questioned? Among all these accused who have now been sentenced--is even one of them a major Naxal leader? Not even one. Only one constable was held responsible in this entire incident. And Vishnu Deo Sai talks big and makes tall claims--isn't he ashamed?” the former CM added.
A Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur on Saturday convicted 10 surviving accused in the 2013 Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack case.
The court found all 10 accused guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act. The court has reserved the announcement of the quantum of punishment for September 16.
The verdict has, however, triggered a fresh political dispute in Chhattisgarh. As the ruling BJP welcomed the judgement as a vindication of the NIA investigation, the Congress alleged that the probe failed to uncover a larger political conspiracy and ignored security lapses. (ANI)
“Why did BJP get stay on reconstituted judicial commission?” Baghel renews attack over Jhiram Ghati probe after verdict
