'Lot of inputs from 3 witnesses in woodcutter firing incident'

A top police officer probing the gunning down of 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu in the forests of Andhra Pradesh in April said that a lot of inputs have been received from the three main witnesses and the report will be submitted soon.
The Andhra Pradesh Deputy Inspector General of Police (Special intelligence team) Ramanakumar said that "further investigation would be done based on the inputs provided," adding that he got a lot of information from them and would soon submit his report.
The police official heard the three witnesses at the office of People's Watch, a city based NGO fighting for human rights. A lawyer was allowed during the deposition by the witnesses to the intelligence sleuths.

They later held discussions with People's Watch executive director Henry Tiphange.
On April 29, People's Watch had sought a direction from a Judicial Magistrate court to record the statement of the three main witnesses to the killing of the 20 woodcutters and send them to their counterparts in that state, saying they would be 'harassed' and put to hardship if they did so there.
The 20 woodcutters were gunned down in Chittoor district in a police operation on April 7, and were alleged to be Red sander smugglers. The action came under severe attack from the government and political parties in Tamil Nadu, which claimed 12 victims were labourers from their state.

The Andhra Pradesh government has maintained that the firing was done in self-defence.
Protests were witnessed in several parts of Tamil Nadu after the incident.
The National Human Rights Commission had also issued notice to the AP government after one of its members said it involved "serious violation" of human rights of the individuals and the firing could not be justified on the ground of self defence.