Govt to SC: Cops work in Naxal areas with death bands on heads

“These intercepts are not illegal. They are authorised intercepts under the Telegraph Act. They are in Hindi,” said Subramanium,holding the transcripts in open court. “Your lordships,I have gone through these intercepts. They are intercepts of Naxalites marking out Officer A,Officer B,Officer C for death. Each one of the officers is marked.”

The Solicitor General,representing the State of Chhattisgarh,described the challenges faced by a police officer working in the “tough terrain” of Naxal areas,sandwiched between “helpless” tribals and “people who take law into their hands and terrorise villagers”.

“Some of the people working in the forces actually wear a death band on their heads when they go into the forests. They have no vehicles,no satellites,no equipment,and they walk in the jungles. Their lives are also precious for us,” he said.

Subramanium said the forces were trying their best to protect the villagers from “greater harm”. “There is no oppressor or oppressed here. We are just pointing out the inability of the State to be physically be there and protect the tribals every time,” he said.

He was responding to allegations raised by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves that security forces in Chhattisgarh were resorting to intimidatory tactics against local tribals.

On an application filed by activist Himanshu Kumar,the Chhattisgarh Police had been directed to produce in court today 12 tribal persons who had allegedly “disappeared” after they had moved the Supreme Court. Six of them,including a 28-year-old woman Sodi Sambo,were produced in court under heavy police presence.

The Supreme Court directed the Delhi District Judge to record the statements of the six witnesses. It has scheduled a second hearing on Tuesday.