Chhattisgarh Elections 2023: Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh strongly advocated an immediate investigation into the Jheeram Ghati Maoist attack if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes into power in the state.
The promise follows the apex court’s rejection on Tuesday of the National Investigative Agency’s (NIA) appeal against the Chhattisgarh police’s inquiry into the 2013 Jheeram Ghati killings of Congress leaders in the state.
Singh condemned the ruling Congress government in Chhattisgarh, pointing out their five-year tenure and the failure to present evidence despite claims made by certain individuals. He highlighted that if the saffron party comes into power in the state, prompt action would be taken regarding this matter.
“The Congress government remained here (Chhattisgarh) for 5 years. The person who kept talking about having evidence in his pocket for five years did not bring out all those documents for 5 years. In the coming time, the BJP government will be formed, and this matter will be investigated immediately,” Singh said on Tuesday, as per ANI.
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Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, leading a three-judge bench, declined the NIA’s plea and refrained from interfering with the Chhattisgarh police’s filing of an FIR regarding an alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the 2013 Jheeram Ghati Maoist attack, which resulted in the deaths of 32 individuals, including state Congress leaders.
An FIR was registered by the state police following a complaint by the son of a deceased Congress leader, alleging that the NIA had overlooked investigating a broader political conspiracy.
The Supreme Court was informed that since 2013, the NIA had not pursued the “political conspiracy” angle and had closed the case. Additionally, it was revealed that the previous political administration in 2016 had urged the Central Government to initiate a CBI investigation due to the NIA’s lack of action.
The incident occurred on May 25, 2013, when senior Congress leaders such as Vidyacharan Shukla, Nandkumar Patel, and Mahendra Karma, along with security personnel, fell victim to a Naxal attack on their convoy in Jheeram Valley, Bastar district.
The Chhattisgarh elections were held in the state in two phases – the first on November 7 and the second on November 17. The voting count is yet to be declared, and the results are expected on December 3.
