A Special Judicial Inquiry Commission has found no evidence to pin responsibility on anyone for arson leading to the burning of houses in villages in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district from March 11 to 16, 2011.
It, however, said that the police have the liberty to retaliate in case to protect themselves if attacked.
The report cites witnesses as saying that in interiors of Bastar region, there were Maoists who were mostly local residents.
The villagers fear both heavily armed police personnel and Maoists who run a parallel government. The police are unable to provide security as their headquarters are not near the villages. This has led to regular battles between the police and Maoists.
The report was tabled by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday along with the Action Taken Report during the ongoing Budget session of the Assembly.
The panel found that on March 11, 2011, police personnel had gone to inquire about complaints of human rights violations.
In Morpalli village, a gun battle took place between the police and Maoists. The same day, 31 houses were set on fire.
There was no evidence regarding the arson incidents of March 13 and 14 in village Thimmapuram when a gun battle took place in which three police personnel and a Maoist were killed and eight police personnel were injured.
Police had fired grenades which led to the burning of four or five houses at the border of the village. But no evidence exists as to how and by whom 55 more houses in the village were burnt.
Similarly, on March 16, in Tadmetla, the police fired in retaliation after firing by Maoists. The same day, 160 houses in the village were burnt down.