RAIPUR: Justice seems to be finally prevailing after nearly four years, as the Chhattisgarh police on Wednesday registered cases of murder against 11 policemen in connection with the fake encounter of a minor tribal girl, Meena Khalko, who was killed in cold blood on July 12, 2011. Cases under Sec 34 of IPC (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) have also been registered against another 14 policemen.

The police action comes a week after the single person judicial commission, headed by District Judge, Anita Jha, submitted its report casting serious doubts over the police's claim Meena being killed in an encounter with Naxalites. The report was submitted to the government almost three year after the inquiry was ordered under public pressure in 2012.

Confirming the action, ADG, CID, Rajeev Srivastava, told TOI that cases under Sections 302 IPC (murder) had been arrested against 11 policemen and they along with other 14 have been also charged under Section 34 of IPC. Section 34 of the IPC is invoked "when a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, each of such persons is liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone".

Srivastava said a five-member committee, which includes the chief investigator and a DSP, has been formed for further verification and investigation of the case. In her inquiry report District Judge, Anita Jha, had confirmed that a police bullet had killed Meena but she had raised doubts about the veracity of police's claim of an encounter. She had termed the police action as unjustified.

Meena was killed in an alleged encounter by a joint team of Balrampur district police and Chhattisgarh Armed Force near Navadih village on July 12, 2011. Balrampur district police claimed that Meena was a Naxalite and had been killed in retaliation after the police party was attacked.

The police had also claimed that a rifle and some other items establishing her Naxalite connections were recovered from her body. However, the police's claim was refuted by not only Meena's family members but many residents of the Navadih Villager who denied that any encounter had ever taken place on that day. They had accused the police of killing Meena in cold blood and then cooking up a story of an encounter.

Following these allegations and protest by human rights activists, the government was forced to send the involved 25 police personnel to police lines and order a judicial probe into the incident. The government had subsequently also announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to Meena's family.