The Supreme Court asked the Chhattisgarh government some searching questions on disbanding the Salwa Judum, the anti-Naxal vigilante group accused of human rights violation in Maoist-hit tribal districts of the state, on Wednesday.
"Why should the state government not disband the Salwa Judum?" was among the five questions posed by a Bench comprising Justices B Sudarshan Reddy and S S Nijjar to the Chhatisgarh government.
The state government had during the previous hearings maintained that Salwa Judum was dying out.
The Bench said it also wanted to know from the state government whether schools and ashrams in Maoist-affected areas were still used for stationing central para-military forces as alleged by rights activists.
The Central Reserve Police Force officials present in the courtroom passed a message to Additional Solicitor General Vivek Tankha, who said the central forces did not occupy any building or place on its own.
"I have an instruction from the CRPF officials present in the courtroom here to say that it is the state government which provides accommodation to the forces," he said.
The Chhattisgarh government will also have to respond about the steps taken by it on the FIRs registered on the basis of the report of the National Human Rights Commission pointing out human rights violation by members of the Salwa Judum.
Further, on the allegation that rehabilitation of the victims in tribal areas were not done properly, the Bench said the state government will spell out the measures taken and also elaborate whether or not it has considered suggestions of the Planning Commission and rights activists who have approached the apex court.
The need for setting up a committee of eminent persons to monitor the action of the authorities in Naxal-hit areas is also a bone of contention between the state government and the activists.
Both Chhattisgarh government and activists have objected to each others' list of names to be included in the committee.
The Bench wanted to know from the state whether a way could be worked out by including the names proposed from both sides.
"We would like to have your (state) response on these five things tomorrow," the Bench said adding the committee would monitor rehabilitation of the victims who are caught in the cross-fire in the fight between Salwa Judum activists and Naxalites on one hand and between Maoists and police on the other hand.
