“Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” - Global Coalition to Protect ...

they [leaders] have decided to kill, they will. And if they decide not to
kill, even if the public says, “Kill, Kill,” they will not kill. 320
Another former Naxalite, Satyam David, agreed that it was difficult to win acquittal
before a jan adalat. From his own experience he surmised that the only way that one
could get acquitted in jan adalats is by garnering the support of some Naxalites.
Before he became a jan militia (armed infomers) member and when he was in school,
Naxalites had accused Satyam of being a police informer. He was abducted and
taken before a jan adalat. He was acquitted, however, because his parents
convinced some sangam (village-level Naxalite association) members to support
him. 321
Subba Atish described how four people were executed by two jan adalats. Two of the
four were found guilty of conspiring against Naxalite commanders, and two others
were found guilty of informing the police about a Naxalite ambush. In all four cases
the punishment was implemented immediately after the sentence was imposed,
leaving no opportunity to appeal against the decisions. Atish described,
They held them [the four] guilty. They tie a rope around each person’s
neck and two people stand on either side and pull the rope-ends till
the person dies. All four were killed in the same manner. 322
Naxalite policing is also often abusive. Veera Etishan described how Naxalites tried
to resolve fights between family members and punished those who did not heed
their advice:
Soma used to fight with everyone—with other villagers, mother, father,
wife and so on. They [Naxalites] spoke to him and tried to make him
understand. But he did not mend his ways even after the warning. So
they tied his hands and legs, put him on the floor, and beat him. After
320 Human Rights Watch interview with Subba Atish (pseudonym), former Naxalite, other details withheld.
321 Human Rights Watch interview with Satyam David (pseudonym), former Naxalite, other details withheld.
322 Human Rights Watch interview with Subba Atish (pseudonym).
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Human Rights Watch July 2008