The Salwa Judum matter was heard in Court 9 of the Supreme Court today [18 January 2011] by Justice Sudershan Reddy and Justice SS Nijjar. The petitioners were represented by Senior Counsel, Mr. Ashok Desai, the Centre by the Solicitor General, Mr. Gopal Subramanium and the State of Chhattisgarh by Mr. Harish Salve and Mr. Manish Singhvi. Arguments lasted all day.
The Court ordered the Chhattisgarh government to vacate security forces from all educational institutions within four months. The Court also recorded the consensus on the need for Salwa Judum camps to be disbanded and their inhabitants to be sent back to their villages. The state government is required to submit a plan for this within two weeks by February 3rd. The Court recorded the Chhattisgarh government’s statement that the State Relief and Rehabilitation Committee had compensated all victims of violence regardless of perpetrator, as well as the submission of the counsel for the petitioners that only victims of Naxalite violence were compensated. The State Committee is to give a report within two weeks (by February 3rd) as to who has been compensated, how much etc.