The Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a plea from the family of top Maoist commander Nambala Keshav Rao, seeking the handover of his body for cremation. Rao was killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh in May.
Rao, a native of Andhra Pradesh, was killed along with 26 others in a fierce encounter with security forces in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. Keshav Rao was also known as Basavaraju.
Basavaraju was considered a top leader and ideological pillar of the Naxal movement. The last rites of Basavaraju and seven other activists killed in the encounter were performed by the authorities on May 26 in Narayanpur. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing the petition challenging the order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court dated May 29, filed by two relatives of Rao.
The lawyer representing Basavaraju stated that the bodies of the Chhattisgarh people were handed over to their relatives. He said that Basavaraju’s relatives are from Andhra Pradesh and his body was not handed over to them.
The lawyer further mentioned that even the ashes of the deceased have not been handed over to date. The bench said that this is an issue that should be decided in proper proceedings, not in this contempt case. The Supreme Court told the petitioner’s lawyer that this contempt petition will not help you. Explore other remedies. The bench said that it was right for the High Court to close the contempt proceedings. Basavaraju carried a reward of one crore rupees in Chhattisgarh.