The Supreme Court has declined to intervene in the matter concerning the body of Maoist leader Basavaraju, also known as Nambala Keshav Rao. The court rejected a plea from his family who requested the return of his remains for a proper burial. Basavaraju was killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh in May.
Basavaraju, a senior figure in the Naxal movement, was killed alongside 26 others in a confrontation with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. Authorities conducted the last rites for Basavaraju and seven others in Narayanpur on May 26th. The Supreme Court was addressing a petition that contested an order from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, issued on May 29th. The petition was brought forth by two relatives of Rao.
During the hearing, the lawyer for Basavaraju’s family noted that while the bodies of other victims were returned to their families, Basavaraju’s family, who reside in Andhra Pradesh, did not receive his body. Furthermore, the lawyer added that the ashes of the deceased have not yet been handed over. The court stated that this issue should be addressed through proper legal processes, rather than the current contempt case. The Supreme Court suggested the petitioner’s lawyer seek alternative solutions, noting that the contempt petition was unlikely to be effective. The court also affirmed the High Court’s decision to close the contempt proceedings. There was a one-crore-rupee bounty on Basavaraju’s head in Chhattisgarh.