The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by the family of Maoist leader Basavaraju, also known as Nambala Keshav Rao. The family had requested the return of his body for cremation. Rao was killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh in May. The court stated that it would not consider the plea.
Rao, a key figure in the Naxal movement, was killed along with 26 others during a clash with security forces in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. Basavaraju was a highly regarded leader within the movement. Following the encounter, the authorities performed the last rites for Basavaraju and seven other individuals in Narayanpur on May 26th.
The Supreme Court heard the petition against a May 29th order from the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The petition was submitted by two relatives of Rao. During the proceedings, the lawyer representing Basavaraju’s family stated that the bodies of the other deceased individuals were handed over to their families, but Basavaraju’s relatives, who are from Andhra Pradesh, did not receive his body.
The lawyer also mentioned that the ashes of the deceased have not been given to the family. The court determined that the matter should be resolved through proper legal procedures, not through the current contempt case. The Supreme Court advised the petitioner’s lawyer to explore other remedies. The court also noted that the High Court’s decision to close the contempt proceedings was appropriate. A reward of one crore rupees was offered for information leading to Basavaraju’s capture in Chhattisgarh.