The Supreme Court has refused to intervene in the matter concerning the body of the Maoist leader Basavaraju. The court rejected a plea from Basavaraju’s family who sought the return of his remains for a proper burial. Basavaraju, also known as Nambala Keshav Rao, was reportedly killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh during the month of May.
Basavaraju, a prominent figure in the Naxal movement, was considered a key leader. The incident involved an encounter in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, where Basavaraju and 26 others lost their lives. The authorities conducted the last rites of Basavaraju and seven other deceased individuals on May 26th in Narayanpur.
The Supreme Court was addressing a petition that contested a previous order issued by the Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 29th. The petition was filed by two of Rao’s relatives. The lawyer representing Basavaraju’s family highlighted that while the bodies of others killed in the encounter were returned to their families, Basavaraju’s family, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, did not receive his body.
Furthermore, the lawyer stated that even the ashes of the deceased have not been handed over. The court stated that this issue needed to be resolved through appropriate legal procedures, not through the current contempt case. The Supreme Court advised the petitioner’s counsel to pursue alternative legal options, suggesting that the contempt petition would not be effective. The court also upheld the High Court’s decision to close the contempt proceedings. Basavaraju had a bounty of one crore rupees placed on his head in Chhattisgarh.