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Latehar encounter: 'Security forces used us as human shields' -Deepu Sebastian Edmond
-The Indian Express

Latehar: The villagers of Amwatikar, about 40 km from Latehar town, have alleged that security forces used their men, women and children as “human shields” and forced them to look for and recover the bodies of CRPF men killed in the encounter with Maoists last week.

Four villagers were killed and a fifth was injured when they were trying to recover the body of a CRPF personnel which had been rigged with explosives. Three of the villagers were from Amwatikar, while the fourth was from Nawadih.

Nine CRPF personnel and a constable of the Jharkhand Jaguars were killed in the Latehar encounter on January 7. Of the five bodies recovered later, IEDs had been placed inside the abdomens of two CRPF personnel. While one went off, killing the villagers, the other was later defused.

No security personnel was injured in this blast. Villagers have alleged that the security personnel remained at least five metres away from the bodies.

“We were all in the house when the prashasan (administration) came. They told us to go and search for the bodies, or else they would shoot us,” said Suneshwar Kumar Bhuiyan, 22, whose brother Jugeshwar, 45, was among those killed.

Jugeshwar’s son, Dinesh, 12, was at the spot when his father died. “I saw his shirt go as high up as the branches,” he said.

Women and children have alleged that they were also forced to accompany the security personnel into the forest. Rajmani, the mother of one of the victims, Ghanu Singh, has claimed that he was only 16 years old. “I ran away when the attack began. Ghanu was taken by the prashasan... He was 16 years old. We were planning to get him married soon,” she said. An official associated with the village school said Ghanu was a Class 8 student.

The other two villagers who were killed have been identified as Virendra Jatav, 45, and Pramod Singh, 40.

Villagers also described how they were asked to line up on either side of the security personnel as they moved into the forest to look for the bodies, suggesting that they were being used as human shields.

The men claimed they were beaten when they tried to run away after the blast. The women said they were verbally abused. “When the blast happened, I turned around and ran. I tripped and fell. Someone pulled me up, beat me, pushed a barrel on to my back and told me to remain there. He threatened to shoot me if I ran,” said Damodhar Bhuiyan, 27.

However, IG, Jharkhand Police, S N Pradhan, denied any wrongdoing. “It is true that most of them were not willing to come at first. We then requested the mukhiya of the panchayat to talk to them. It was the second day, and we had not found the bodies yet,” he said.

“The women came along with the men because they feared they would be detained. The children came along with the women,” he claimed.

Baldev Parahiya, mukhiya of the Chungru panchayat, confirmed that the police had sought his help to convince the villagers. “Amwatikar doesn’t fall under my panchayat, but since their president was not around and because the people of the village know me, the police approached me. While nobody was beaten in front of me, I have heard complaints that some were beaten with lathis. People pleaded that they should be allowed to go on their own to look for the bodies — they were afraid the Maoists would shoot if they were seen with the officials. The security personnel made us walk on either side.”

On the death of villagers, Pradhan said: “Nobody suspected that the bodies would be booby-trapped. It has never happened before. Local villagers are taken to search and carry the bodies all the time, mainly because the security personnel are carrying weapons.”

Latehar SP Kranti Kumar Garhdeshi also denied the allegations. “The Maoists went to the village on the night of the blast and instructed the villagers to make such complaints. We never use human shields. In fact, the Maoists do — as soon as firing begins, they push villagers in the front,” he said.