Raipur: The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday sent controversial Bastar IG SRP Kalluri, who was facing allegations of gross human rights violation, on forced leave.
The state government has also appointed 2003 batch IPS officer P Sunder Raj as DIG Bastar and fixed his headquarter in Jagdalpur.
The move comes days after women, in the Naxal-affected area of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, who were allegedly raped by policemen and security personnel between October 2015 and January 2016 recounted their ordeal to CNN-News18. The National Human Rights Commission, in an interim order, had accepted that 16 women had been raped and sexually assaulted.
Watch CNN-News18 video here:
Kalluri was accused of threatening journalists, social activists and other human rights activists working in Bastar. His ill heath was cited as a reason to send him on leave.
“Due to health reasons, IG Bastar SRP Kalluri applied for leave which was sanctioned by the government,” Subodh Singh, Secretary to Chief Minister’s Office clarified.
Talking to News18, Kalluri refused to say much on his leave issue. "It is government decision and I have nothing to say on it," he said.
However, Kalluri praised Raj and said the officer was earlier posted in Jagdalpur as SP and has good knowledge of terrains. Raj has served as SP in Bastar.
The appointment of DIG Sunder Raj has been welcomed by the Human Right activists and political parties.
People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) State President, Lakhan Singh, sent a written note to media alleging actions of IG SRP Kalluri has tainted the image of State Government.
The repeated summons to Kalluri from National Human Right Commission and courts in fake encounters and cases of atrocities had embarrassed the state government. Criticisms from human rights organisations and Amnesty International had pushed the government on back-foot.
The position of DIG Bastar was first created in 2010 just after Tadmetla attack in 2010 where 76 jawans of the CRPF were killed. Kalluri was made the first DIG.
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