Chhattisgarh HC to Baghel govt: What’s your objection on NIA probe into BJP MLA murder?

Source – newindianexpress.com

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh High Court has sought a clarification from the state government over its apparent objection in the probe to be carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the murder of BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi.

A division bench headed by the Chief Justice PR Ramachandra Menon and Justice PP Sahu was hearing the review petition challenging the earlier high court’s single-judge order that directed the Chhattisgarh government to handover the investigation findings (report) so far into the incident by the state police to the NIA.

Two days before the first phase of polling in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, the BJP MLA Mandavi and four policemen were killed in a powerful IED blast triggered by the Naxals at Dantewada on April 9 this year.

The Central government had ordered for an NIA probe into the incident on May 17. But the Bhupesh Baghel government was “ostensibly reluctant” to let the inquiry and its report be passed on to the NIA following which the latter moved the high court.

To respond to the query raised by a two-judge bench, the state government had sought time. The court has fixed the next date of hearing on November 13.

The state had earlier asked the Centre twice to reconsider its decision citing that the case is being investigated by the Chhattisgarh police and the process already proceeded to an advanced stage.

The Chhattisgarh government has also ordered a judicial probe into the Dantewada attack incident and maintaining that the law and order (policing) is the state subject, the files couldn’t be submitted to the NIA, following which the latter approached the high court against the government.

The state BJP suspecting the killing of the party MLA Mandavi as a conspiracy had always demanded a CBI inquiry into it.