Human rights groups of Jharkhand have called for a speedy and independent investigation into Wednesday’s brutal murder of a 27-year-old social-political activist whose body was recovered in the forests of Khunti a day later.

Jharkhand Janadhikaar Mahasabha (JJM), a conglomeration of activist organisations, has noted that Ramji Munda played an active role in bringing to light violence and rights violations of the authorities during the Pathalgadi, or self-rule, agitation in Khunti in 2017-18.

Ramji was killed by unidentified criminals on June 24 on the outskirts of his village in Ghagra. Khunti police recovered his body from Jikilata forests on Ghagra-Jikilata road only a day later. No one has been arrested yet.

Ramji, sources said, was part of several fact-finding teams constituted by the Mahasabha to look into allegations of state-sponsored violence during the Pathalgadi movement of 2017-18 and the Burugulikera mass-murder incident of January this year.

According to the Mahasabha, which issued an official statement on Friday, Ramji played an important role in bringing to light the violence and human rights violations during the time.

“In June 2018, police and local administration unleashed brutal repression and violence in Ghaghra on the day of a planned Pathalgadi ceremony. Several villagers were beaten up badly. Two of them were shot, one of whom died. Livestock was looted and several homes were ransacked. After this incident, many residents of Ghaghra fled the village and stayed away from their homes for several days. Ramji later exposed the police brutality through his fact-finding missions,” read the communique from the Mahasabha.

It added, “Pathalgadi in Ghaghra was a non-violent response against policies of the erstwhile BJP government led by Raghubar Das. Not only did the government try to dilute land laws, it field to respect the worldview of the Adivasis.”

The Burugulikera massacre in West Singhbhum in January this year saw seven villagers being beheaded, exposing the influence of Gujarat’s Satipati cult in the Pathalgadi movement. “Ramji was always opposed to the increasing influence of this cult in the Pathalgadi movement, which was essentially a struggle for the Constitutional rights of Adivasis. He was committed towards protecting and strengthening Adivasi rights,” the Mahasabha noted.

The Mahasabha demanded an independent and fair investigation into Ramji’s murder. “The findings should be made public. The government must also ensure the safety and livelihood of Ramji Munda’s wife and toddler daughter, besides ensuring safety of tribals in the state,” it said.