The Chhattisgarh government received the judicial inquiry report into the Jheeram massacre in an open cover, raising doubts that its contents had been leaked, the Congress said on Saturday.
The report submitted to the Governor has been leaked as it was received by the state government in an open cover six days of after its submission, said Agriculture Minister and Government spokesperson Ravindra Choubey.
Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu was present at the presser.
The Judicial Commission’s Secretary in a letter to the state government in September 2021 pointed out that the probe is incomplete and sought extension of the tenure of Justice Prashant Mishra Judicial Commission, set up on May 28, 2013.
But suddenly, the Commission Secretary submitted the report to the Governor on November 6, Sahu said.
Meanwhile, Justice Prashant Mishra had been transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court as Chief Justice. So, the government constituted two new members to complete the probe, with three more points, Sahu added.
Choubey said BJP leaders are indulging in politics over the report. He wanted to know on what basis they were seeking the resignation of a Minister. Was the report leaked, he asked.
The Congress has criticized the fact that the report was submitted to the Governor and not the government.
The Jheeram Valley massacre took place on May 25, 2013 when alleged Naxalites killed several frontline Congress leaders including Nand Kumar Patel, his elder son Dinesh Patel, Mahendra Karma, Uday Mudaliar, Dinesh Patel and former Union Minister Vidya Charan Shukla.