Date – 30-01-2012

A. P. Singh

Director, CBI

Email – dcbi@cbi.gov.in

Dear A.P. Singh ji,

It is with deep anguish that I am compelled to write this letter to you.

On 14th January 2011, I had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking high level impartial enquiry into the alleged encounter killing of CPI (Maoist) leader Cherukuri Raj Kumar alias Azad.

On 14th May 2011, the Hon’ble Supreme Court had directed the CBI to submit the interim report within 6 weeks and final report in three months. Disregarding the seriousness of this high voltage encounter killing involving the Central Home Ministry and Andhra Pradesh police and the whole peace process which got sadly derailed, the CBI dragged its feet for months and months beyond the deadline. The interim report which was submitted to the Supreme Court after 7 months admits that CBI has not looked into the most basic Central Forensic Lab Report. If it were not for the Supreme Court monitoring, the CBI would have compromised its already bruised reputation of working under the influence of its political bosses. Let us hope that the final report expected by March end will be free and fair.

I am also deeply concerned at the delay by the CBI in investigating the attacks on the three villages of Tadmetla, Timapuram and Morpalli, and then on me and my companions when we were trying to deliver relief in March 2011.

On 5 July 2011, the Supreme Court had ordered the CBI to file a preliminary report in 6 weeks. But it was only in January 2012 that the CBI visited the villages for the first time. As for the murderous attack on us, even now they have not recorded the statements of those who were accompanying me, or the Salwa Judum leaders and SPOs who were involved. There was no problem of rains, access or security, in investigating this incident. As in the case of Azad, this delay and any leniency shown towards the police during investigation will give the public an impression that the CBI is not serious about this case, and that it is acting under the control of the Home Ministry.

From news reports, it is evident that the CBI team was accompanied by some 300 security forces, including some of the SPOs who were named by the villagers of being present during the arson, killings and rapes. There have also been news reports of beating of one villager by the forces in Morpalli, even as the investigation was proceeding. The CBI must hold the district police responsible for vitiating the investigation.

I trust that the CBI will act to retrieve its reputation and carry out an independent and impartial investigation in both cases, to restore public faith in the rule of law.

Swami Agnivesh

E-mail – agnivesh70@gmail.com

Cc: Vineet K. Gupta, Special Director, In-charge Bhopal Zone Mr. Hemant Priyadarshi, DIG, Bhopal Zone