Bastar Tribal Family Preserve Body For 23 Months As Evidence In ‘Fake’ Encounter

Raipur, Mar 3: On March 19, 2020 morning, the Chhattisgarh Police said a Maoist was killed by a joint team of security forces out on counter-insurgency patrol in a gunfight deep in Bastar’s Dantewada forest. They said the dead man, Badru Mandavi, was a member of the west division of Maoists in Bastar. Once the formalities were completed, the 22-year-old’s body was handed over to his family.

Tribals in Kirandul’s Gampur village contested the police version that Badru Mandavi was a Maoist, and embalmed the body in the hope that some authority will agree to order an inquiry into Badru Mandvi’s killing.

That was 23 months ago.

Since then, Badru’s body is kept in a pit, around 200meters from the village’s hutments, wrapped in white shroud and plastic. The tribals smeared the body with salt and some herbs to try to embalm the body.

“We will not do the last rites until the court takes cognizance of the encounter. We were not able to reach the high court because of Covid lockdown and pandemic but recently we consulted some people… Soon our petition will be filed,” said Badru’s mother Madvi Marko demanding action against the policemen who killed his son.

In November 2021, the tribals touched base with a human rights lawyer of Chhattisgarh, and are planning to petition the high court for a probe into what they claim, was a fake encounter.

Sannu Mandavi, a tribal who was accompanying Badru when he was shot, said they were on their way to collect mahua flower when a bullet hit Badru.

“I saw policemen coming toward me… I started running because I got scared,” Sannu said.

Badru’s wife Podi Mandavi said she hasn’t lost hopes that she will get justice for her husband.

“I have lost everything after the death of my husband … I hope the court will give us justice,” said

A human rights lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the tribals could not petition the court earlier due to Covid restrictions.

“I met Badru’s family member at a programme in Raipur in November last year. They told me that they want to move a petition in the high court to seek a thorough investigation in the matter. The petition will be filed soon in this regard,” said the lawyer.

Soni Sori, a tribal rights activist in Bastar, said the encounter was staged, and an excuse for the murder.

“We still have the body of the deceased after two years. We have resisted conducting the last rites. The tribals hope and believe that the high court will order an inquiry, send a notice to the police, order a postmortem, or at least take cognizance of the issue. As a result, the tribal-style container has been used to preserve the body… The dead body will not be buried and will be preserved until the investigation is concluded.” said Sori.

“The tribals never get justice… Why do they kill us, Treat us like this? Do you think the government does not know these? The public representatives are not aware? Everyone is aware of the plight of the tribals and the injustices. They don’t care. This is how violence breeds violence,” she added.

Bastar’s top police officer, Inspector general of police, Sunderaj P, rebutted allegations that the tribal was killed in a fake encounter.

“On March 19, 2020 an encounter took place between Maoist cadres and a joint party of CRPF, STF and DRG. In this encounter, a body of a naxal male cadre Badru Mandavi was recovered. Badru Mandavi was a member of the west Bastar division Maoist formation. The body was handed over to the next of kin after due formalities and the body was buried by the family members. It is being learned that the villagers buried the dead body not in a conventional manner but by adding some salt and herbals in the graveyard and the reason behind is believed to preserve the dead body for re-postmortem if ordered by any competent authorities. But so far, no such orders have been issued by any competent authorities,” the senior police officer said in a written response.

A magisterial enquiry ordered in line with a Supreme Court verdict was concluded in May 2021 and nothing adverse was found, Sunderaj added.