No need for parallel probe into Salwa Judum: Supreme Court

On a day when the UPA Government informed the Supreme Court that a Group of Ministers has been constituted to study the Salwa Judum...

On a day when the UPA Government informed the Supreme Court that a Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted to study the Salwa Judum, the court refused to order a parallel inquiry into the alleged human rights violations with regard to the movement in the Chattisgarh. Instead it asked the NHRC to inquire such cases of violation, if any.

Making clear the Centre’s earnestness in dealing with the issue, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium emphasised, “The matter is of serious concern to the Union irrespective of what government is in power in the state.”

Acknowledging that the petitioners — sociologist Nandini Sundar, historian Ramchandra Guha, former bureaucrat E A S Sarma and others — have already approached the NHRC with their grievances, the bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan ruled out constituting any other independent panel as pleaded by them.

The ASG said the Cabinet Secretary has been closely reviewing the overall security and development related issues in Chhattisgarh. But the Centre’s counsel highlighted that nobody was willing to take up normal policing duties in the state. “It is a matter of concern. The ground situation is alarming. We have to take stock of the situation,” he submitted.

Hearing the submissions, the Bench finally gave eight weeks to the NHRC, which has already issued notice to the state, to submit its report for further directions, if required.