C'garh encounter: Judicial probe ordered as locals cry foul

The Chhattisgarh government today 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 alleged today that the encounter was fake.
A commission headed by Justice V K Agrawal, which is already probing the encounter with Maoists at Sarkeguda in Bijpaur district on June 28-29, 2012, will conduct inquiry into this incident too.
The decision was taken at a meeting of senior officials, chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh, an official statement said.
The government also announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the villagers who were killed.

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 the intervening night of May 17-18. The Cobra (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) battalion 208 was on a combing operation at the time.

A senior police official claimed that one of the killed men was identified as Karam Masa (27), a naxal, who was active in the region for the past several years.
Other deceased were identified as Karam Pandu, Karam Guddu, Karam Joga, Karam Somlu, Karam Badru, Punem Sonu and Punem Lakh, Bijapur Collector Mohammad Kaiser Abdul Haq told PTI over phone.

"Three of the killed villagers were under-15," he said.
A group of women from the tribal-dominated village protested at Gangalur police station alleging that the encounter was fake, and police had killed their family members who were innocent.