Family members of some of those killed in the Bakoria gun battle of 2015 on Thursday met Hemant Soren at the chief minister’s official residence and demanded compensation, and job for one member of each family.

They expressed concern over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case, pointing out that that the agency had not made any breakthrough, and said they feared they would not get justice.

Hemant is learned to have assured them of looking into their complaint and demand.

On the night of June 8, 2015, Jharkhand police and CRPF personnel had gunned down 12 people including two minors at Bakoria under Satbarwa police station of Palamau district, and claimed they were rebels associated with CPI(Maoist). Except one person, identified as Anurag alias Dr Bomb, none of the others had any criminal background.

In November 2018, Jharkhand High Court directed the CBI to take up the investigation, observing that the state police had failed to probe the case properly. The court’s direction came while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Jawahar Yadav in 2016. Jawahar’s son Uday was among those killed. “They were killed by JJMP members on instruction of police. My son was a para-teacher and he was innocent,” Jawahar said on Thursday.

Uday’s widow Manju and 14-year-old son Tushar also met the CM. “I have to take care of two children and I don’t have any source of income,” Manju said. “My daughter Priyanshu is in Intermediate and I want the government to give job to either of my children when they become adults. I don’t know what the CBI is doing in the name of investigation and I shared my concern with the CM. He assured us that justice will be done.”

Ishwar Yadav, whose son Niraj was among those killed, also met the CM.