NCST Probes Alleged Fake Encounter Killing of Tribal Leader

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has launched a high-stakes investigation into the controversial death of Surya Hansda, a former BJP leader and tribal activist, killed in an alleged police encounter in Jharkhand’s Godda district on August 10, 2025. The NCST has demanded a detailed report from the Jharkhand Police within seven days, citing discrepancies in the official account of the incident, which the opposition BJP has branded a “well-planned conspiracy” to silence a vocal tribal advocate.

An eight-member NCST team, led by Asha Lakra, visited Godda on August 24, 2025, to probe the circumstances surrounding Hansda’s death. The team met with Hansda’s family in Lalmatia, visited Rahadbadia Hills—where the encounter took place—and held discussions with Godda Deputy Commissioner Anjali Yadav and Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar. Lakra raised serious doubts about the police narrative, noting that while authorities claim Hansda was a “wanted criminal” with 25 cases against him, locals hailed him as a social activist who ran a school for tribal children. “We’ve asked for the names of the SIT personnel involved and copies of all cases against him,” Lakra told reporters, adding that senior police officers may be summoned to Delhi if needed.

NCST member Nirupam Chakma further questioned the police’s account, asking why only six to seven officers were deployed for a nighttime arms recovery operation and why villagers reported no sounds of gunfire despite claims of a 30-minute encounter. “There are many facts that require investigation,” Chakma said, signaling the commission’s intent to scrutinize the incident thoroughly.

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The controversy erupted after Hansda, arrested on August 10 from Nawadih village in Deoghar, was killed the following day while allegedly being taken to recover hidden weapons in Godda’s Boarijor area. Police claim Hansda snatched a rifle, fired at officers, and was shot in retaliatory firing, but his family and the BJP allege a “fake encounter.” BJP MP Deepak Prakash, whose complaint prompted the NCST’s intervention, and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi have demanded a CBI probe or a judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court judge, accusing the Hemant Soren-led government of targeting Hansda for his activism against illegal mining and tribal exploitation.

Hansda, a resident of Dakaita village, contested the Borio assembly seat four times, including in 2019 on a BJP ticket, and in 2024 with the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) after being denied a BJP nomination. Despite his political ambitions, police records link him to serious crimes, including a May 2025 firing incident at a coalfield project. The state has handed the case to the CID, but public outrage, including a tribal march to Raj Bhavan on August 23, 2025, demanding justice, has intensified pressure on the government. As the NCST’s probe unfolds, Hansda’s death threatens to escalate into a major political and social flashpoint in Jharkhand.

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