The Chhattisgarh government on Sunday ordered a judicial inquiry into Friday night’s encounter between security forces and suspected naxals near Edasmeta village in Bijapur district, in which eight villagers were killed. The locals said the encounter was fake.
A commission headed by Justice VK Agrawal, which is probing the encounter with Maoists at Sarkeguda in Bijpaur district on June 28-29, 2012, will conduct the probe. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Raman Singh. The government also announced compensation of R5 lakh each to the kin of the dead.
According to police, eight villagers, including three minors, and a personnel of elite Cobra battalion of CRPF were killed in the gun battle between security forces and the ultras near Edasmeta village in southern Chhattisgarh on May 17-18.