Counterinsurgency? PUCL seeks transparent, independent judicial inquiry into Maoists' 'extrajudicial killings'

By A Representative 

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has strongly condemned what it described as the extrajudicial killing of Nambala Keshava Rao, General Secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist), and 26 others in a reported encounter by security forces in Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh. PUCL stated that many of the deceased were Adivasi residents and accused the state of bypassing due process under the guise of counterinsurgency.

The operation, which resulted in the death of one District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and injuries to several others, was praised by the Union Home Minister on social media as a "landmark achievement" in the fight against Naxalism. PUCL, however, asserted that no individual, regardless of ideology, is beyond the protection of the law and denounced the incident as a violation of the right to life and due process.

Citing guidelines issued by the National Human Rights Commission and upheld by the Supreme Court in the PUCL v. State of Maharashtra case (2014), the organisation reiterated that every police encounter death must be treated as a cognizable offence, with mandatory FIR registration and a magisterial inquiry.

PUCL expressed grave concern over what it described as a pattern of indiscriminate killings under Operation Kagar and its offshoots, claiming over 430 people have been killed in Bastar since January 2024, including civilians and alleged Maoists. The group further criticised the reported cremation of bodies without handing them over to families, despite court orders and the families’ persistent demands.

Quoting from the Supreme Court’s ruling in DK Basu v. State of West Bengal, PUCL highlighted that the right to life includes dignified treatment of the dead and timely release of bodies to family members. The organisation warned that the actions of the state may amount to a grave breach of international humanitarian law under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions if the victims were unarmed or in custody.

PUCL accused the government of ignoring peace initiatives, including a unilateral ceasefire proposal from CPI (Maoist), and raised questions over its commitment to constitutional values. It warned that continued impunity threatens the moral legitimacy of the state.

The organisation called for a transparent, independent judicial inquiry into the killings, accountability of officials involved, the immediate return of remaining bodies to families, and a halt to ongoing military operations in the region.