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Tamil Research Institution (TRI)
While both High Courts and the NHRC have passed interim orders, People’s Watch believed
it might be helpful to these judicial and quasi-judicial processes to have facts collected and
analysed by individuals without any interest in this incident other than to see the truth
emerge. At its invitation, Justice Hosbet Suresh, formerly Judge of the Bombay High Court,
Shri Satyabrata Pal, former member of the NHRC, Shri E.N. Rammohan, former DGP of the
BSF, Dr. Professor. Jawahirullah, current Ramnad MLA from Tamil Nadu, Advocate B.S.
Ajeetha from the Madras High Court and Dr. Savior Selva Suresh, Professor of Forensic
Medicine, Vellammal Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai undertook the
fact finding mission. Justice H. Suresh was the Convenor of the team. The Executive
Director of People’s Watch, Shri Henri Tiphagne, the Director Programs of People’s Watch.
Shri Mathew Jacob and other staff of People’s Watch and Dr. Perumal Krishnamoorthy of
the Working Group on Human Rights in India and UN, New Delhi accompanied and assisted
the fact finding team.
2.DETAILS OF THE FACT FINDING MISSION
A prior intimation regarding the visit of the above mentioned team for fact finding on 14 th and
15 th April, into the encounter killing of 20 persons was given to various authorities and the
same was received by them and were acknowledged by most of them (Annexure 8). The
team commenced its mission at 6 AM from Chennai on 14 th April. Since the 20 deaths took
place in Andhra Pradesh, the team began its work with a visit there. As an impartial and
thorough enquiry must, the team had wanted to present all sides of the story, and above all
to give officials of the Andhra Pradesh Government every opportunity to refute or clarify
points which cast doubts on their claims. Hence the team proposed to visit the officials in AP
first and the spot where the ‘encounter’ is alleged to have taken place.
At 10 AM on 14 th April, the fact finding team reached Nagari Police Station (AP-Chittoor
District) and met the SHO. He mentioned that he had been asked by the SP Chittoor on the
morning of 8 th April (that’s how he claims that he got to know formally about the encounter)
to check buses to Tamil Nadu, on which men who had escaped from the encounter might be
returning. He had done so, but his constables had found none. When asked about the
parameters for identifying the red sanders cutters, he explained that they look for symptoms
on hands and suspect people in groups and question them. As a practice, people
accompanied by women and families are not stopped. According to him, no one was
arrested on 6 th and 7 th April in the Nagari circle. In a year, there are a minimum of 100 FIRs
relating to smuggling of red sanders wood. He further mentioned that once the cutters enter
the forests, they stay there for weeks and come prepared with food and required materials
which also are supplied from local villages. He claimed to be newly appointed in the
concerned police station and hence couldn’t mention more facts.
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