In a total of 718 cases registered against members of Scheduled Tribes in the Naxalite bastions of Chhattisgarh, courts have until May 31 acquitted 944 accused after reviewing the charges.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had set up a panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge A.K. Patnaik to withdraw cases registered against innocent tribals, an official communication said on Friday.
The district administration and the police department have also been directed to investigate cases registered against the tribals and provide relief to the innocents in the Naxalite hubs.
For withdrawing the cases registered against the tribals, the cases were presented before the Justice Patnaik Committee, which recommended the axing of of 627 cases.
Based on the recommendation, 594 cases have been withdrawn from the court and 726 persons have benefitted. Presently only 33 cases are pending for withdrawal from the court.
Similarly, 365 Naxalite cases have been identified by the police for speedy trial in courts.