Matwada Massacre Case - CGNet - 2255

Updates on Matwada Massacre Case

On 18 March 2008 three tribal, who were living in Salwa Judum camp Matwada
for last two years, were killed before the eyes of their wives and a fourth
tribal was beaten badly but he survived.

Police claimed that these three tribal were killed by Naxalites.

Two days later these three widows approached a NGO (Vanvasi Chetna Ashram)
and disclosed that in fact their husbands were killed by police and SPO’s in
broad day light with sticks and knives.

Vanvasi Chetna Ashram facilitated a press conference in which these three
widows and fourth survivor narrated the whole story of police brutalities.

These widows and the fourth survivor along with Vanvasi Chetna Ashram filed
a writ petition in Chattisgarh High Court Bilaspur against Police and SPOs..

On 17 Chattisgarh High Court Bilaspur pronounced an interim
order instructing state of Chattisgarh, through collector Bijapur to pay
compensation to all these four petitioners/victims immediately.

State of Chattisgarh stated before the High Court that petitioners are not
cooperating and they hide whenever state authorities try to contact them.

High court instructed Vanvasi Chetna Ashram to ensure that these four
petitioners/ victims appear before collector Bijapur on 24/06/2010.

Today VCA volunteers helped these petitioners/victims to reach up to
collector Bijapur after 24 kilometers walk and 60 km bus journey alonfwith
their small children.

Collector Bijapur did not pay any compensation to these petitioners/ victims
today but asked them to produce following documents:

1 Death certificates of their husbands.

2 Copy of the FIR

3 Certificate that these widows are the legal heirs of the persons died.

4 An application from these victims/ petitioners that their husbands were
killed by

Naxalites and not by the police and SPO’s.

The fourth survivor Shri Somdu do not deserve any compensation..

Can this state win the heart and mind of tribal in this way ?

Himanshu Kumar

24/06/2010