DU professor, 10 others booked for Chhattisgarh tribal's murder, says Bastar police chief

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], Nov. 8 (ANI): Bastar district police on Tuesday said that they are getting ready to take stern action against Delhi University professor Nandini Sundar and ten others for the murder of a tribal in Sukma district last week. "We have enough evidences and documents and we will produce them (Sundar and others) in court to ensure that strict action is taken against them," Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) S. R. P. Kalluri told the media here. Kalluri said that the police should be allowed to work without interference. "It is not an incident that cannot be ignored. Very serious investigation will take place. We will not tolerate such an incident again," he added. "As per the complaint lodged by the victim's wife, her husband had been getting threats from Maoists since he and other villagers had complained against Sundar. Even armed Maoists were referring to that complaint and anti-Maoist demonstrations while attacking Baghel on Friday," he added. He said that according to villagers, Sundar and others went to the village to allegedly threaten them not to oppose the Maoists. "A letter was then written to the vice chancellors of both DU and JNU, informing that Bastar police was conducting an inquiry against both the professors following complaint received against them," he added. However, refuting charges of murdering a tribal in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, Delhi University Professor Nandini Sundar on Tuesday said it was part of the state police's vendetta against all researchers, journalists, lawyers and activists who have been critical of their fake encounters and mass gang rapes, adding that she would take up the matter legally. "It's part of the Chhattisgarh Police's vendetta against all researchers, journalists, lawyers, activists who have been critical of their fake encounters, their mass gang rapes of women and the complete lawlessness of the police. This FIR against us is absurd. We haven't even been to the area for five months. We will be taking it up legally," Sundar told ANI. Sundar and 10 others have been booked for the murder of a tribal in Sukma. Sundar has been named in a complaint by the wife of Shamnath Baghel, who was killed by Maoists last Friday in his village in Maoist-hit Bastar. Baghel had been leading a campaign against Maoist activities since April and had recently formed the "Tangiya (axe) group". Baghel and other villagers had in May lodged a complaint against Sundar and others for allegedly inciting tribals against the police. (ANI)