The fast track court of Bhandara where the trial of Khairlanji Dalit killings began last fortnight asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to substantiate its charge-sheet against the accused by 12 February 2007.

The CBI on 29 January 2007 produced all the 11 accused before the Fast Track Court of SS Das Ejaj Khan, the counsel of the CBI had argued on behalf of the agency and asserted that there was enough evidence that established that these 11 were involved in the brutal killings of the Bhotmanage family.

Four members of the Bhotmange family - Surekha, her daughter Priyanka, sons Rahul and Sudhir - were mercilessly butchered by a group of villagers at Khairlanji, some 100 km from Nagpur in Bhandara district, on 29 September 2006. Only Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, husband of Surekha, survived in the mob attack.

While hearing the argument of Khan, the Court directed him to produce all the relevant evidence on 12 February 2007. Rakesh Saxena argued on behalf of the accused of the Khairlanji massacre.

Meanwhile, six more accused of the massacre were granted bail by the Court of first class judicial magistrate, Bhandara on 29 January 2007. With this, as many as 34 persons, who were charged with the murders, were released on bail by the court.

The court released them on bail as their names were not figured in the charge-sheet filed by the CBI. The Court released them on the surety of Rs 25,000 in cash and solvency of the same amount from each person.

The accused have been directed by the court not to leave Khairlanji village without prior permission of the police station concerned. Earlier 28 accused of the case were granted bail by the court.

Persons who were released by the court on 29 January 2007 include: H Dhande and his wife, Kamal Dhande, reportedly relatives of the NCP legislator of the area, Nana Panchbudhe.

Rajendra Gajbhiye, one of the key witnesses of Khairlanji Dalit killings, alleged that Panchbudhe was trying to protect the accused of the case as his own relatives Dhande couple was involved in the case.

He also accused Panchbudhe for threatening him and hurling casteist abuses. Rajendra had lodged a complaint with the Andhalgaon police station against the NCP legislator and insisted his immediate arrest.

Although the local police filed a case against Panchbudhe under the section of 310 of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, no action was initiated against the MLA by the authorities so far.

Rajendra and his brother Siddharth had exposed the entire district administration, including the NCP MLA, along with Bhaiyyalal, the lone survivor of Bhotmange family, for its casual approach on the heinous crime.

It was alleged that Khairlanji tragedy could have been averted, had the administration and the police been sensitive and taken timely action. The incident sparked violent protests in various parts of the State and the State Government finally handed over the probe to the CBI.

The district police and the state CID, the then investigation agencies, arrested 47 villagers including sarpanch Upasrao Khandate and deputy sarpanch Urkunda Khurpe of Khairlanji.

However, the CBI which filed the charge-sheet before the court a few days ago framed only 11 villagers in the murder case while it found rest of them innocent. Both, the sarpanch and his deputy were not figured in the CBI list of accused, and hence they also got the bail from the court last month.