The Special Judicial Probe Commission probing the Maoists attack on Congress convoy at Jeeram valley on May 25 in which 31 people were massacred by Maoist insurgents and an equal number injured, is in dilemma as witnesses are not coming forward to tell the truth.
Even Congress MlA of Konta Assembly constituency Kawasi lakhma, former MlA Phulodevi Netam, Mahadev Nag, Malkit Singh Gendu, Sattar Ali and others who were injured in the attack are not coming forward to depose before the commission, leading to delay in progress of the investigation. Even district Congress president lakheshwar Baghel has not submitted affidavit yet to record his statement before the Commission. On the other hand, accepting the request of president of District Congress Committee (Shahar), the Commission has extended the date for filing affidavit from July 18 to July 19. It is believed that now the Commission will send notice to witnesses to call them for deposition on the next scheduled date.
Sources claimed that even after extension of the date, no affidavit was submitted to either Congress office or the Commission and only 12
affidavits which were submitted in the month of July during the first meeting of the Judicial probe panel are lying with the Commission.
Out of the total 12
affidavits filed so far, most are of the Congress leaders who are from outside Bastar. From Bastar, only Awadhesh Gautam, Umashankar Shukla and Satish Tiwari have submitted their affidavits. Out of the three Bastar leaders, only Gautam was in the convoy ambushed at Darbha and had escaped by a few seconds when the Maoists blasted a vehicle.