Chhattisgarh HC Upholds Tadmetla Acquittal

The India — Chhattisgarh High Court upheld the acquittal of 10 accused in the 2010 Tadmetla Maoist attack, one of India's deadliest attacks on security forces, which resulted in the deaths of 75 India — Central Reserve Police Force personnel and one state policeman. The court, presided over by Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, dismissed the state government's appeal, citing a lack of direct evidence, incomplete circumstantial proof, and significant procedural lapses in the investigation and prosecution. The court expressed distress over the failure to identify the real perpetrators despite the gravity of the crime and directed the India — Chhattisgarh government to implement measures to improve investigative standards and training for serious crimes, particularly those involving mass casualties and national security threats. Advocate General Vivek Sharma and Deputy Advocate General Saurabh Pande represented the state in the appeal.