Chhattisgarh: Bastar IG Kalluri who threatened activists goes on leave, new top cop appointed

Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) SRP Kalluri who allegedly threatened activists after they raised concerns over the hounding of activist Bela Bhatia, has gone on leave and a new IG has been appointed in his place.

After activist Bela Bhatia was harassed by a mob in Bastar, lawyers, filmmakers and human rights defenders who wrote to SRP Kalluri to ensure the activist's safety, were allegedly threatened by the cop himself.

Bhatia was allegedly asked to vacate her house in Pandripani village in Bastar district by villagers, who held a protest outside it accusing her of being a 'Maoist sympathiser', the police said. Bhatia had claimed that she was allegedly threatened by a group of men who asked her to vacate immediately, failing which they said they would set the house ablaze. 

The Chhattisgarh Home Ministry appointed Sundar Raj P, Dantewada Deputy Inspector General of Police, as the chief of the Bastar range, reported Dainik Bhaskar.

In November, the National Human Rights Commission had summoned Chief Secretary of the Chhattisgarh government and the IGP of Bastar Range, in the wake of alleged hostility and abuse of power against social activist Nandini Sundar and others in connection with a tribal murder case.

The NHRC said it had noted and taken suo motu cognisance of the "nationwide outcry and protest" against IGP of Bastar Range SRP Kalluri for registering an FIR on November 5 against Sundar, Delhi University professor Archana Prasad and a few others in connection with the alleged murder of a tribal man in Naxal-affected areas of the state.