CID to probe man’s killing by security forces

The crime investigation department (CID) will investigate the recent killing of an armed man, who was shot dead by security forces while hunting, inside Piri forest under Garu police station in Latehar district, police said on Tuesday

The crime investigation department (CID) will investigate the recent killing of an armed man, who was shot dead by security forces while hunting, inside Piri forest under Garu police station in Latehar district, police said on Tuesday.

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Latehar superintendent of police (SP) Prashant Anand said, “As per the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guideline, the case has been transferred to CID for inquiry. There is nothing new in this, as every case leading to gunning down of Maoists or a criminal in encounter with security forces is handed over to CID.”

As per police, security forces were carrying out an anti-Maoist offensive inside the forest last Saturday when the firing took place. They mistook a group of six armed villagers, who entered the forests for hunting, for Maoists and one of them, identified as Brahmdev Singh (23), was killed in the “exchange of fire between both sides.”

Meanwhile, police lodged an FIR in this connection against the other five persons. “Raghunath, Rajeshwar, Dinanath, Govind and Sukuldev, all residents of Piri village, have been booked for involving in the encounter with the police, possession of illegal arms and carrying out hunting in reserve forest area,” a police official said.

According to locals, the armed group entered the reserve forest to hunt for a wild boar or rabbit to celebrate Sarhul, a tribal festival, the next day.

Police said that the hunters fired in the forest, and the security forces having taken position on a nearby hill mistook them for Maoists and retaliated. Brahmdev was killed in the process, officials said.

The SP said, “We have released the five villagers after a written undertaking of extending cooperation in the investigation. They have also surrendered their fire arms to the police,” adding that the “police was taking a a very balanced approach in this case and there was nothing to hide.”

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) on Tuesday demanded action against security personnel for shooting a local, besides a government job and compensation of ₹10 lakh to the bereaved family.

A fact finding team in of the party, in its report submitted to the state committee, also denied that the village youths fired any shot during the incident.