Surya Hansda encounter: Scheduled Tribes Commission seeks reply from Jharkhand govt in three days

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has issued a notice to the Jharkhand government over the alleged encounter killing of tribal leader Surya Hansda in Godda, directing senior officials to submit a report within three days.

The notice, dated August 18, was sent to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Godda and Superintendent of Police, Godda. It follows a petition submitted by Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash on August 16, seeking a fair investigation into Hansda’s death.

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The Commission warned that if officials fail to respond within the stipulated time, it will exercise its constitutional powers under Article 338A to ensure compliance.

Deepak Prakash alleged that Hansda was killed in a “staged encounter” and silenced for speaking up for tribal rights. He said the matter should be probed independently to deliver justice to Hansda’s family.

Hansda was killed on August 11 in what police described as an encounter in the Boarijor area of Godda. Police claimed he faced more than two dozen criminal cases and tried to flee custody by snatching a rifle. His family has dismissed the police version, insisting he was bedridden and taken away without a warrant.

The BJP, led by former chief minister Arjun Munda and state party president Babulal Marandi, has already demanded a CBI probe and a second post-mortem under the supervision of a retired judge.

With the NCST stepping in, the case has moved beyond political allegations and is now under the scrutiny of a constitutional body, intensifying pressure on the state government to explain the circumstances of Hansda’s death.