Three senior civil servants including Palamu Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Nandu Prasad have been removed in connection with the alleged fake encounter at Latehar on April 15 in which five people where killed by security forces.

 

The two other officers who have been removed are Latehar Deputy Commissioner Sarvendu Tathagat and Superintendent of Police Hemant Toppo.

 

Jharkhand Home Secretary JB Tubid told CNN-IBN that at the moment it can be said if the encounter was a fake or not.

 

"I can't say that the encounter was a fake. We want to do a proper and impartial enquiry that is why we have removed them (the three officers)," said Tubid.

 

Governor Syed Sibte Razi has instructed Palamu Commissioner AK Pandey to conduct an investigation into the April 15 encounter and submit a report.

 

Later on the eve of the second phase of Lok Sabha election in Jharkhand, suspected Naxalites hijacked the Mughalsarai-Barkakana 627-BDM Passenger Train and released it only after officials agreed to investigate the Latehar encounter.

 

The five villagers were shot dead by the security forces after four people including two security personnel were killed in a landmine blast triggered by Naxalites on April 15, just a day before the first phase of 15th Lok Sabha elections.

 

But the villagers claimed that the encounter was a fake and all those killed were innocent villagers belonging to Barahania.

 

CNN-IBN/01/May/2009