Supreme Court of India issues notice on Kandhamal retrial
October 20, 2012: The Supreme Court of India has asked the Odisha state government
and the Central Bureau of Investigation to respond within eight weeks to a petition
seeking fresh probe and retrials into some cases related to the Kandhamal violence.
The
apex court issued the notice on Friday on a petition from the survivors of the 2008
anti-Christian violence and human rights activists. The petitioners under the “Initiative
to Justice, Peace and Human Rights” had approached the court after two Fast Track
courts set up for the speedy trial acquitted all accused in 29 of 30 cases.
The
Initiative’s writ petition also sought retrials of the cases outside Odisha, besides
fresh investigations into them. The bench comprising Justices R M Lodha and Anil R
Dave also wanted the Odisha police department to respond.
According to the
petitioners, faulty and defective investigation by the police, coupled with a perfunctory
trial, has left victims with no hope of justice. Out of the more than 2,500 criminal
complaints, the police had registered only 828 first information records. The petitioners
had prayed for reinvestigation of the cases by Central Bureau of Investigations, the
institution of a commission of inquiry, and transfer of cases to any other state.
Odisha
witnessed a wave of violence lasting several weeks against Christian dalit and tribal
communities of Kandhamal district following the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader
Lakshmanananda Saraswati on August 23, 2008.