Press Release
June 7th, 2025
There are serious concerns regarding their safety and the possibility of extrajudicial execution, given the current situation of state excesses in blatant violation of constitutional provisions.
This ongoing operation, now in its third day, represents a continuation of Operation Black Forest (commenced April 2025) and the broader Operation Kagaar (initiated January 2024), which has reportedly resulted in over 500 fatalities—a number that continues to escalate.
These operations align with stated policy objectives under Home Minister Amit Shah to eliminate the Maoist insurgency by March 2026. More seriously, , the methods employed for ‘elimination’ constitute serious violations of constitutional and international legal standards.
Over the past 48 hours (June 5th-6th, 2025), credible reports from local journalists in Chhattisgarh have documented multiple cases of alleged extrajudicial executions of senior CPI (Maoist) leaders following their capture. On June 6th, Central Committee Member Sudhakar was reportedly killed in a so-called “encounter,” followed by the death of another leader, Bhaskar, under identical circumstances.
We now gather information that 18 senior leaders from the National Park region near Indravati are currently in police custody, with grave concerns regarding their safety and potential execution
Pattern of Constitutional Violations
Two weeks prior, CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basavaraju was allegedly surrounded, captured, and executed. Authorities subsequently denied his family access to his remains, refusing to recognize them as legal claimants. Eight bodies of combatants in advanced stages of decomposition were reportedly incinerated by Chhattisgarh police—actions publicly celebrated by newly appointed DGP Arun Dev Gautam, IG P Sundarraj, and state and central government officials.
Current reports indicate that police custody extends beyond the 18 confirmed detainees to include multiple unidentified bodies of deceased combatants, with authorities withholding critical information regarding their identities.
Constitutional and Legal Violations
These military-style operations conducted by Chhattisgarh police in conjunction with CRPF forces constitute flagrant violations of:
– Article 21 of the Indian Constitution (Right to Life)
– Fundamental principles of Indian jurisprudence
– International humanitarian law governing treatment of combatants
The operations have created a climate of terror among Chhattisgarh’s civilian population, who face systematic denial of information regarding missing family members. Families are left to navigate bureaucratic obstacles before receiving unidentifiable, decomposed remains—or no remains at all—under the guise of maintaining law and order.
Institutional Failure and Impunity
The state government’s Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy has been perverted to incentivize excessive force by police and paramilitary personnel, creating legal shields for impunity while legitimizing gross human rights violations as state policy. The systematic nature of these violations, coupled with official celebration and career advancement for perpetrators, represents a fundamental degradation of democratic institutions and the rule of law.
IMMEDIATE DEMANDS
The Coordination Committee for Peace (CCP) demands immediate action:
1. Immediate judicial intervention: All detained individuals must be produced before competent courts without delay
2. Cessation of operations: Immediate end to Operation Kagaar, declaration of ceasefire, and initiation of substantive peace negotiations toward political resolution of the Central India conflict
The constitutional crisis unfolding in Chhattisgarh demands urgent intervention to prevent further erosion of democratic principles and protection of fundamental rights.
Prof G. Haragopal, Prof G. Laxman, Dr MF Gopinath. Kavita Srivastava, Kranti Chaitanya, and Meena Kandasamy
On behalf of the
Coordination Committee for Peace (CCP)
