Date:11/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/11/stories/2006111102371200.htm

National

CPI (M) for CBI probe into murder of Dalits

Special Correspondent

Says probe is "polluted with anti-Dalit prejudices"

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday demanded an immediate probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the "unspeakable brutality and savage murder" of four members of a Dalit family in Bhandara district of Maharashtra.

A party delegation, led by Polit Bureau member and MP Brinda Karat, visited Khairlanji on Thursday and met the surviving members of the family.

In a statement here, it demanded the immediate prosecution and arrest of all police officers and doctors concerned who had "connived in helping the accused."

Post-mortem report

The photograph of two women Surekha (43) and Priyanka (18) showed there was not an inch on their body that had not suffered some injury. But the post-mortem report was silent on this.

"The doctors did not even do the mandatory swab and, therefore, the claim of the administration that there was no sexual assault before they were butchered is questionable," the statement said.

The delegation met Baiyajee Bhotmange, Siddhart Gharbayee and his brother Rajan, an eyewitness, and spoke to several people in the village.

Remark insensitive

Even a month after the incident, the State Government did not intervene to prevent the grave assault on justice and the constitutional provisions for the Scheduled Castes, the statement said. The party condemned Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil's remark that the Dalit protests were motivated by extremist elements, saying it indicated the total insensitivity of the State Government to the violence.

Expressing shock that the police and administration did not take adequate note of several complaints made by the victims, the delegation said they could have prevented the crime from occurring.

The delegation, which comprised All-India Democratic Women's Association vice-president Kalindi Deshpande and local party activists, would present a detailed report to the Prime Minister and request the Centre's intervention since the "State administration has little credibility."

Congress reaction

The Congress said the Maharashtra Government would take every conceivable in-house step to ensure that all errant people were brought to book.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the causes leading to the incident would be looked into and the exact policy formulation would be made known.

AICC general secretary Margaret Alva said Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Pradesh Congress Committee and the District Congress Committee leaders had sent in their reports to the party high command.