NCST team to visit Sonebhadra on Monday

A team of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) will visit Uttar Pradesh's Sonebhadra district on Monday to inquire into the killings of 10 tribal farmers allegedly over a land dispute on Wednesday.

The team led by the NCST Chairperson Nand Kumar Sai has also decided to visit the place of the incident, meet the family members of deceased and injured persons and hold meetings with the administration and the police in the district.

The Commission has already issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, and the District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Sonebhadra district to send factual and action taken report in the matter.

"It has come to the notice of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes through print and electronic media on 18.07.2019 that 10 persons belonging to Scheduled Tribes have been killed and several injured over a land dispute in Umbha village of Sonebhadra district in Uttar Pradesh.

"Keeping in view of the seriousness of the incident, the Commission issued notices to the Chief Secretary and DGP, Uttar Pradesh, and District Collector and SP of Sonebhadra district to send factual and action taken report in the matter," a government statement said.

"Accordingly, a team of NCST comprising Nand Kumar Sai, Chairperson, Maya Chintamn Ivnate, member, S.K. Ratho, Joint Secretary to Government of India, and R.K. Dubey, Assistant Director, will visit Sonebhadra district to inquire into the incident," it added.

After visiting the Umbha village, the NCST team will hold a meeting with the Divisional Commissioner, Mirzapur, Additional DGP, Varanasi Range, District Collector and Superintendent of Police, Sonebhadra district.

( With inputs from IANS )