According to a The Print report, the Chhattisgarh Congress government appointed former Bastar Inspector General of Police SRP Kalluri as the head of the Economic Offences Wing and Anti-Corruption Bureau.
When the Congress was in opposition, it demanded the dismissal of Kalluri, who has been accused of threatening journalists, human rights activists and orchestrating an attack on so-called researcher Bela Bhatia in Bastar.
In February 2017, Kalluri was transferred out of the Maoist-hit region following the attack on alleged urban Naxal Bhatia, and posted in the training department. Later on, Kalluri was sent on indefinite leave. Kalluri and Bela Bhati both are considered as controversial figures.
Podiyam Panda, a Maoist operative and terrorist surrendered to the Chhattisgarh police on May 9, 2018. He specifically revealed names of Delhi University (DU) Professor of Sociology Nandini Sundar and Bela Bhatia a former Associate Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS, Delhi) and an Honorary Visiting Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay. Panda further claimed that he was the liaison between these and other ideologues and the Maoist leaders holed up in interior villages of Sukma including Ramanna, Hidma, Paparao Aaytu, Arjun and others.
For more details: Urban Naxals: The most dreadful criminals of modern India
According to The Print report, When SRP Kalluri was on leave, the then Chhattisgarh Congress president Bhupesh Baghel, who is now the CM of the state, had said that the punishment was not enough since the officer had violated the service rules. According to a The Hindu report, Baghel had said, “Mr.Kalluri has openly flouted the All India Service rules and the government should take action against him. Sending him on leave is not enough as he faces allegations of empowering and protecting anti-social elements, spreading terror, rape, and murders.”
Kalluri is a prominent figure in the state of Chhattisgarh. The Indian Express has quoted Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi saying, “We have not given any clean chit… It is the clear stand of the Congress that Mr Kalluri will not be sent to Bastar. But as a police officer, he has to be used somewhere…”
CM Bhupesh Baghel’s move to give a key post to SRP Kalluri has disturbed many Naxal sympathizers and have attacked the CM for this move. Kavita Krishnan dared Rahul Gandhi to publicly face questions from feminist & rights activists on the appointment of Kalluri as the head of the Economic Offences Wing and Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Mr @RahulGandhi – I dare you to publicly face questions from feminist & rights activists on the appointment by @INCIndia Govt of the corrupt, criminal, foul-mouthed Kalluri as head of the anti corruption EOW in Chhattisgarh. Crying shame. https://t.co/kRlBOd4mDA
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) January 3, 2019
Absolute shame that the infamous IG Kalluri who had to quit following expose of police conspiracy to harass Bastar rights activists, journalists, & other massive abuses gets a plum posting by the new @INCIndia Govt of Chhattisgarh https://t.co/GW2WXSgarD
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) January 3, 2019
Dear @RahulGandhi it seems the Congress' political morality is pretty #pliable no? On #1984, #Sabarimala & #Kalluri?
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) January 3, 2019
Monster cop Kalluri who still has to answer for arson, rape by sec forces, extra-judicial killings, driving witnesses out of Bastar gets a plum job in new govt. https://t.co/Jk1jCDdtoK
— Aruna Chandrasekhar (@aruna_sekhar) January 3, 2019
Read all about S.R.P. Kalluri, Chhattisgarh's dirty cop now promoted by the Congress government in the state. https://t.co/mywmV8cLOh
— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) January 3, 2019
According to International Business Times report, when asked about Kalluri’s recent appointment, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu said, “Ask the chief minister…The order of the transfer file has come from his office.” It seems that Sahu is not satisfied with CM’s move. The recent move shows the hypocrisy of Baghel, given that when he was in opposition he criticised Kalluri for launching crackdowns on Naxals but now being the CM of Chhattisgarh, Baghel has ensured the return of the officer.
