NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into "fake encounters" in various parts of the country. It said the latest episode in Gujarat was not a law and order issue but one concerning human rights and right to life and liberty, a Constitutional guarantee.

"The Gujarat incident is not a State issue and of law and order. It is a question of constitutional propriety and guarantee of life and liberty. This is at stake at the hands of the protector of laws. These officers said they did it [the killings] under political compulsion... " CPI (M) MP Mohammed Salim said at a press conference here.

Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party for preventing the members from raising the issue in Parliament, Mr. Salim said what had come to surface was just "the tip of the iceberg and there are more skeletons in the cupboard." He said the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh showed how the BJP wanted to communalise the atmosphere.

He said the BJP plea that the matter was sub judice and hence no discussion should be allowed was not correct as a former senior police officer posted in the State had stated how he refused to stage encounters.

Mr. Salim said "fake encounters" had become an inter-State matter, as Sohrabuddin was caught in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh assisted in the operation. "It was a staged and scripted encounter."

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