CG Govt constitutes Judicial Commission to enquire into Madanwada Naxal incident
| Date :20-Jan-2020 |
Staff Reporter :
RAIPUR,
Chhattisgarh government has constituted one member Judicial Commission to probe the martyrdom of 29 police personnel including the then Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Vinod Choubey at Madanwada in Rajnandgaon district on July 12, 2009. The one member Judicial Commission chaired by Justice Shambhunath Srivastava, Retired Judge High Court of Allahabad, will be probing various significant points which are of public importance and hold significance till date after 10 years of the incident.
It is worth mentioning here that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had announced judicial probe by a retired High Court Justice into the Madanwada incident which had led to the brutal killing of 29 security personnel including the then Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Kirti Chakra decorated Shahid Late Vinod Chaubey, during a function held on September 8, 2019, while unveiling a 12-ft tall statue of Late Vinod Choubey in front of Civil Lines police station at Bilaspur in the presence of Ranjana Chaubey, widow of Late Vinod Chaubey. As per the Gazette Notification issued on January 15, 2020, the state government has constituted the one-member Judicial Commission while exercising the powers vested under Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 (Act no 60 of 1952).
The enquiry will be centered around the 11 points which the Enquiry Commission will be probing against the incident registered under FIR No 56/2009 under Sections 302, 147, 148 of Indian Penal Code, Section 25, 27 of Arms Act, Sections 8(3),(5) of Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act – 2005 and Sections 23, 38(1)(2), 39(1)(2) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Accordingly, the Commission would be probing under what circumstances the incident had taken place on July 12, 2009 near village Madanwada, Mahaka Pahari, village Karekatta and village Korkatti under Manpur police station in Rajnandgaon district which led to killing of 29 security personnel including Late Vinod Kumar Choubey, the then Rajnandgaon SP. Whether the incident can be averted and whether all Standard Operating Procedures and security directives were followed. What were the circumstances which led to SP Rajnandgaon and security personnel had to rush for the operation.
When the SP Rajnandgaon and security personnel were trapped in Naxal ambush, whether additional resources and forces were sent as reinforcement, if yes, it needed to be clarified. Whether any investigations had taken place to analyze the damages suffered by Maoists and how many Maoists were killed or injured. What were the circumstances leading to the killing and injury of security personnel during in the incident. Reports on facts connected to the incident which had taken place ahead, during and after the incident.
Whether there was complete coordination between the state police and central forces at the time of incident. The notification has also sought suggestions and measures which could be taken in future to avert such incidents apart from probing all other significant points which are connected with the incident. The Judicial Commission will have to submit its report after completion of enquiry within six months from the date of gazette publication. It may be recalled that while announcing the probe on September 8, 2019, the Chief Minister had stated that the brutal killing of 29 security personnel including Late Vinod Chaubey during Naxal encounter in Madanwada is not a simple incident. Hence his government had decided to order a detailed probe by a retired High Court Justice, which would bring forth the truth of the incident.
It is worth mentioning here that 29 security personnel including Late Vinod Choubey, were killed in ambushes and landmine attacks by Maoists in three separate incidents in Madanwada and nearby areas in Rajnandgaon on July 12, 2009. In the first incident, two security personnel were killed in an encounter with Maoists in Madanwada. Subsequently, the then Rajnandgaon SP Late Vinod Choubey rushed to the spot along with reinforcement. When Late Choubey was heading to the spot along with his team, Maoists ambushed them, killing him and other police personnel accompanying him.