Govt withdraws 1 lakh cases against tribals

The government has withdrawn over one lakh cases slapped on tribals in Naxal-hit Jharkhand as part of its efforts to win their confidence in its fight against the extremists.

The government has withdrawn over one lakh cases slapped on tribals in Naxal-hit Jharkhand as part of its efforts to win their confidence in its fight against the extremists.

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The cases include stealing fruits from forest, cutting woods, grazing cattle, hunting and entering reserved forests without permission. “The tribals were running from pillar to post in connection with these cases. So we reviewed the issue with the state government and advised them to withdraw the cases,” a Home Ministry official said.

Officials said they did expect the Maoists to step up their activities and had been asking state governments to take preventive security measures but also step up development and confidence-building exercises.