2015 sandalwood smugglers encounter in Andhra Pradesh

none September 2020 June 2015 2015 Andhra shootout India Andhra Pradesh 13.5833 79.3167 yes Flashspot.gif Chandragiri yellow 7 Location of Chandragiri, Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh Chandragiri MandalChittoor DistrictAndhra Pradesh, India Red sanders smugglers 2015 04 07 y 05:00 a.m. (local time) UTC+05:30 Shooting, encounter killing 20 Andhra Pradesh Police Rifles Punishment On 7 April 2015, Andhra Pradesh Police shot twenty Tamil Red sandle smugglers in the Seshachalam forest in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force DIG Kantha Rao said that the smugglers attacked the team with sickles, rods and axes. Asked if the attack could have been quelled without such fatalities, Rao said, "We gave them several warnings but they did not stop attacking us. There were over a hundred of them." Asked how many of his men were grievously injured, he said, "Nobody is seriously hurt from our side. Their superior training saved their lives."Mondal Sudipto 8 April 2015 Red sanders smugglers' killings: 2 encounters, 20 bodies, several unanswered questions https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/red-sanders-smugglers-killings-2-encounters-20-bodies-several-unanswered-questions/story-gJAJuVZtoM9IhYQkihSRAL.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20150407190733/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ap-red-sanders-case-2-encounters-20-bodies-many-unanswered-questions/article1-1334909.aspx 7 April 2015 Hindustan Times Human rights activists did not believe the police version of the shootings. They say some of the bodies had burn marks and others had bullet injuries in the chest and head. Witnesses said that some of those killed were pulled off a bus by the policemen. Incident The incident occurred at two places Eetagunta in Seshachalam forest area of Chandragiri mandal in Chittoor.http://www.deccanherald.com/content/470242/police-encounter-chittoor-nearly-20.html Police encounter in Chittoor: Nearly 20 sandalwood smugglers shot dead Deccan Herald 7 April 2015 Nine labourers were killed in Eetagunta, eleven in Vachindou Banda. As per Andhra Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) R. P. Thakur, "Police had received information that a large number of smugglers were on the prowl in the forest. Teams of Red Sanders Task Force laid ambush at two places. The Task Force consisted of forest officials and armed reserve policemen too. When our teams asked them to surrender, the smugglers retaliated by hurling stones and they were armed with sickles and axes. When the task force opened fire, twenty of them were killed but many escaped. The smugglers were carrying red-sandalwood logs."7 April 2015 20 red sander smugglers shot dead in Chittoor forests in Andhra Pradesh https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150407/nation-current-affairs/article/major-encounter-20-smugglers-shot-dead-andhra-pradesh live https://web.archive.org/web/20150407085243/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150407/nation-current-affairs/article/major-encounter-20-smugglers-shot-dead-andhra-pradesh 7 April 2015 Deccan Chronicle According to reports, nearly 500 coolies, hired by a red sanders smuggler belonging to Chittoor district, were felling the trees when the police fired on them.http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/20-Red-sandalwood-Smugglers-Killed-in-Encounter-in-Chittoor-District/2015/04/07/article2752058.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20150420064012/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/20-Red-sandalwood-Smugglers-Killed-in-Encounter-in-Chittoor-District/2015/04/07/article2752058.ece dead 20 April 2015 20 Red-sandalwood Smugglers Killed in Encounter in Chittoor District The New Indian Express The accounts of two witnesses given before the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) say "at least 12 of those shot dead were pulled off a bus by Andhra policemen and arrested hours before the controversial encounter".Stalin J Sam Daniel 13 April 2015 Ghosh Deepshikha Chittoor Killings: 2 Witnesses Who Claim Encounter Was Fake, Meet Rights Body http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chittoor-killings-2-witnesses-who-claim-encounter-in-andhra-pradesh-was-fake-to-meet-rights-body-754436 NDTV.com Investigation The post-mortem team of five doctors at the Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government Hospital, however, said the men "were shot at close range".Tata Madhavi April 20, 2015 The Colour Of Cold Blood https://www.outlookindia.com/national/the-colour-of-cold-blood-news-293986 live https://web.archive.org/web/20150411153328/http://www.outlookindia.com/article/The-Colour-Of-Cold-Blood/293986 11 April 2015 Outlook India On 10 April 2015, Hyderabad High Court ordered the Andhra Pradesh government to register a case of murder for the killing of 20 alleged red sandalwood smugglers. "Why should not a case of unnatural death under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code be filed?" the court asked.https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/andhra-pradesh-red-sandalwood-smugglers-encounter-high-court-248021-2015-04-10 Andhra encounter: File case of murder against cops, says High Court India Today 10 April 2015 A fact-finding team led by the Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisation (CDRO), after visiting the spot on 11 April 2015, maintained that there were several inconsistencies in the version put forward by officials and termed the killing of 20 red sanders coolies as a 'fake encounter' and sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the issue. "There were no visible signs of conflict at the location. The distance between bodies of coolies is less than 10 feet and blood marks were not found elsewhere. It is surprising that there were no injuries, when the task force men have opened fire on a group of 150 coolies," they said.https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/seshachalam-encounter-rights-activists-visit-spot/article7094128.ece 'Seshachalam encounter': rights activists visit spot The Hindu 11 April 2015 Three men, who survived the alleged 'encounter' testified to the NHRC on how their friends and family members were wrongly detained and later shot dead.http://www.rediff.com/news/report/seshachalam-encounter-witnesses-reveal-what-happened/20150413.htm Seshachalam 'encounter': Witnesses reveal what happened 13 April 2015 Rediff An eight-member fact-finding team found instances where the bodies of some victims in the encounter were brutally disfigured and tortured. One of the members of this team and former member of NHRC, Satyabrata Pal, said that he has seen hundreds of cases while serving as a member in the NHRC for five years but rarely had he come across as brutal and as inhuman an act as the killings. Many members found this encounter is fake because it does not have any encounter signs.http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Bodies-of-Woodcutters-Mutilated-Says-8-member-Fact-finding-Team/2015/04/16/article2766517.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20150419085901/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Bodies-of-Woodcutters-Mutilated-Says-8-member-Fact-finding-Team/2015/04/16/article2766517.ece dead 19 April 2015 Bodies of Woodcutters Mutilated, Says 8-member Fact-finding Team The New Indian Express 16 April 2015 On 17 April, Hyderabad High Court ordered the re-postmortem of five more victims and Saikumar of the alleged encounter, it also directed the Osmania Medical College principal to form a team of not less than three doctors to conduct the postmortems in Tamil Nadu.http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/HC-Orders-Second-Autopsy-of-Five-More-Encounter-Victims/2015/04/18/article2770068.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20150420052333/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/HC-Orders-Second-Autopsy-of-Five-More-Encounter-Victims/2015/04/18/article2770068.ece dead 20 April 2015 HC Orders Second Autopsy of Five More Encounter Victims The New Indian Express 18 April 2015 National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) vice chairperson Ravi Thakur, visited the site, with forest department officials, where the 20 Tamil Nadu woodcutters were shot dead, and expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of officials in explaining the reason behind the massacre.http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/ST-Commission-Miffed-at-AP-officials-Response/2015/04/18/article2770060.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20150420053905/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/ST-Commission-Miffed-at-AP-officials-Response/2015/04/18/article2770060.ece dead 20 April 2015 ST Commission Miffed at AP officials' Response The New Indian Express 18 April 2015 The NHRC decided to send its team for investigation where killing happened and favoured a judicial enquiry by Andhra Pradesh Government into firing incident.http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/nhrc-favours-judicial-enquiry-into-chittoor-firing/ NHRC favours judicial enquiry into Chittoor firing 23 April 2015 The Indian Express The Hyderabad High Court had directed the Andhra Pradesh Police to furnish the case diary before the court, relating to the case registered in connection with the killing of the 20 people in police firing. Expressing dissatisfaction over the case diary that was produced by the investigating officer to the court, it ordered Special Investigation Team(SIT) to be constituted to probe the killing and wants SIT to complete its investigation in 60 days and submit a report to the court.http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/Chittoor-Firing-HC-Asks-SIT-to-Complete-Probe-in-60-Days/2015/04/28/article2787556.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20151203185915/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/Chittoor-Firing-HC-Asks-SIT-to-Complete-Probe-in-60-Days/2015/04/28/article2787556.ece dead 3 December 2015 Chittoor Firing: HC Asks SIT to Complete Probe in 60 Days The New Indian Express K. Kranthi Chaitanya, State executive member of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) stated that "We have always maintained that it was a fake encounter and that the workers were brought to the spot and killed. The forensic report, call data records, SIT report, etc. all prove our stand."https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/cops-mum-over-seshachalam-encounter/article7229113.ece Cops mum over Seshachalam 'encounter' A.D. Rangarajan The Hindu 20 May 2015 Reaction O. Panneerselvam, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in a letter to the Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, called for a probe to fix responsibility for possible human rights violations. "Many of these persons are reportedly from Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts of Tamil Nadu. While it is possible that these persons may have been engaged in illegal activities, the occurrence of such high casualties in the operation raises concerns whether the (AP) Task Force personnel acted with adequate restraint."http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/at-least-20-smugglers-dead-in-encounter-by-andhra-pradesh-police/ Tamil Nadu leaders protest after police in Andhra kill 20 red sanders smugglers 7 April 2015 The Indian Express The Andhra Pradesh government has been ordered by the Hyderabad High Court to file a case that murder of 20 alleged red sandalwood smugglers. The incident exposed as an extrajudicial killing since an eyewitness claim that some of them were taken off from a bus and killed. It is mentioned that no security personnel was killed or injured that deny the police interview.https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/andhra-pradesh-red-sandalwood-smugglers-encounter-high-court-248021-2015-04-10 Andhra encounter: File case of murder against cops, says High Court 10 April 2015 11 April 2015 The killings sparked uproar in the victims' home state of Tamil Nadu.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Uproar-in-Tamil-Nadu-after-police-gun-down-20-sandalwood-smugglers-in-Andhra-Pradesh/articleshow/46841282.cms Uproar in Tamil Nadu after police gun down 20 sandalwood 'smugglers' in Andhra Pradesh The Times of India 7 April 2015 11 April 2015 It brought protest outside Tamil Nadu among activists. They mentioned that the bodies had burn marks and bullet holes that implied that the men were shot at a close range.Sudhir Uma Stalin Sam Daniel April 10, 2015 Chaturvedi Amit Chittoor Shootings: Chandrababu Naidu Assures Tamil Nadu Chief Minister of Speedy Probe https://www.ndtv.com/cheat-sheet/andhra-pradesh-shootings-madras-high-court-refuses-second-post-mortem-of-6-alleged-sandalwood-smuggl-753824 2023-04-08 NDTV.com The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) condemned the shootings and termed it a massacre. It also demanded the immediate registration of a FIR under charges of 'murder' and 'conspiracy to murder' against the officials who were responsible.http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-chittoor-encounter-is-a-massacre-of-people-pucl-2075552 Chittoor encounter is a massacre of people: PUCL 7 April 2015 dna See also 2009 Chitrakoot Shootout List of cases of police brutality in India References External links India red sandalwood: Questions over 'smuggler' killings Killing of Red Sanders Smugglers in Andhra Pradesh: Were They Woodcutters, Killed in 'Fake' Encounter? Category:Law enforcement operations in India Category:Extrajudicial killings in India Category:Andhra Pradesh Police Category:Chittoor district Category:2015 in India Category:2010s in Andhra Pradesh Category:Police misconduct in India Category:Inter-state disputes in India Category:Smuggling in India Category:Illegal logging in India Category:Pterocarpus Category:Encounters in India Category:Police brutality in India