Already under fire from Dalit organisations and the Opposition over the Khairlanji killings, the Maharashtra government is now left red-faced with a state government institute accusing a top police official in Vidarbha of dereliction of duty.
The institute, in a report, also described the September 29 killings of four Dalits of a family, including two women, at Khairlanji in Bhandara district as an 'organised conspiracy'.
The report says Pankaj Gupta, special inspector general of police at Nagpur, "made a premature and irresponsible public statement that the Khairlanji incident did not involve rape on female victims".
It claimed that it has learnt from the public that Gupta allegedly accepted a bribe from "interested elements" to make such a statement.
The report was commissioned by the Centre for Equity and Social Justice of Pune-based government agency Yashwantrao Chavan Institute of Development Administration.
It was prepared under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute.
"It took 14 days for Gupta to visit Khairlanji, which takes just about an hour's journey from Nagpur," the report said.
"All these matters are extremely serious and hence a confidential inquiry should be initiated against Gupta," the report added.
The report also recommended a special investigation into the sequence of events, including landline and mobile phone calls and secret meetings held in and out of the village prior to the incident, with a view to uncover the "roots of an organised conspiracy" to allow the massacre.
The report was submitted to additional chief secretary (home) last week, a Yashada official Ravindra Chavan told PTI over phone on Monday.
Officers allegedly guilty of neglect of duty, including the district collector, superintendent of police, civil surgeon, sub-divisional magistrate, deputy superintendent of police, tehsildar, police prosecutor, superintendent and medical officer of Rural Hospital at Mohadi town in Bhandara district should be immediately transferred, it said.
"Disciplinary action should be taken against them so as to restore the confidence of people in the administration," it said.
An inquiry should also be initiated against these officers regarding alleged dereliction of duty under the Prevention of Atrocities Act and those found guilty should be made co-accused, the report stated.
More from rediff