Fri May 30 00:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the BBC Telugu report:
**Chhattisgarh Police Accused of Obstructing Family’s Access to Maoist Leader’s Body**
**Naraynpur, Chhattisgarh** – The family of Nambala Kesava Rao, a top Maoist leader recently killed in an encounter, is alleging that Chhattisgarh police are deliberately delaying the handover of his body despite a court order. Rao, also known as Basavaraju, was killed in the Abujhmad forest area on May 21, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Rao’s brother, Nambala Ramprasad, told the BBC that he and other family members have been traveling between hospitals and police stations in Narayanpur for two days, pleading for the body. Despite an order from the Andhra Pradesh High Court to release the body, police have reportedly been asking for old family photos and other forms of proof to verify Rao’s identity, according to the family.
The family fears the police intend to cremate the body in Chhattisgarh against their wishes, preventing them from performing final rites in their ancestral village in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. “They are trying to mentally harass us into agreeing to perform the funeral here,” Ramprasad told the BBC.
Another brother, Nambala Dilleshwar Rao, alleged that police told the family they would not hand over the body because it could lead to Maoist resurgence by encouraging people to build a memorial for him in his native village.
The family has filed a contempt of court petition in the High Court and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, alleging that the Chhattisgarh police are disregarding the court order. They are also demanding for the body of another Maoist leader Sajja Nageswara Rao, who was also killed in the same encounter.
Meanwhile, the Bastar Range Inspector General of Police, Sundarraj.P, stated that while the funeral of Nambala Keshav Rao has been performed, the authorities were following standard procedures for identifying bodies and conducting post-mortems after encounters. He said bodies are handed over to rightful claimants after all legal processes are complete. He also noted that as the matter is in court, further details could not be provided.
A collective of activists has issued a statement expressing grave concern over the alleged denial of bodies to the relatives of those killed in the encounter. They condemn the reported decay of the bodies in cold storage and urge the Chhattisgarh government to respect the right of the deceased to be treated with dignity. The committee urged the government to adhere to the High Court’s assurance and to hand over the bodies to their families before they decompose any further.
The situation remains tense, with the family vowing to continue their efforts to retrieve Rao’s body and perform his last rites according to their traditions.
First Piper 