Chattisgarh naxal attack: Witnesses invited for recording statement

RAIPUR: The special judicial inquiry commission probing the deadly Maoist attack on May 25 at Jiram valley in Bastar district in which 29 people including several Congress leaders were killed, has invited statements from witnesses to the incident.

"Individuals, institutions or group of individuals having direct knowledge about the naxal attack can come for recording statements in Hindi or English as witnesses," Special Judicial Commission Secretary Shivmangal Pandey said today.

The one-member judicial commission, headed by Chhattisgarh High Court Justice Prashant Mishra, has already begun probe into the attack and is operating from the office of Commissioner, Bastar Division in Jagdalpur town, located 30kms from the Jiram valley.

Those willing to record statements as witness will be required to produce documents pertaining to their identity in their affidavit, the official said.

The state government has specified some points to the commission on which probe will be done, he said.

These include - circumstances under which naxal attack on Congress convoy took place at Jiram valley on May 25, could the incident be averted, was there adequate security or was there any security lapse, whether the security agencies fulfilled all necessary security parameters, among others.