Fri May 30 00:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the text you provided:
**AP High Court Orders Handover of Maoist Leader Nambala Kesava Rao’s Body to Family**
**Hyderabad/Srikakulam:** The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed authorities to hand over the body of Nambala Kesava Rao, alias Basavaraju, a top leader of the CPI-Maoist party, to his family. The ruling comes after the family filed a petition seeking the return of his remains for final rites in his native village.
Kesava Rao’s death was announced on May 21st by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who stated he was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Abujmad forest area of Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh. Following the announcement, Kesava Rao’s family sought to retrieve his body, but Chhattisgarh police allegedly refused to hand it over after the post-mortem examination.
“We are making arrangements to bring his body here,” Kesava Rao’s brother, Nambala Dilleswara Rao, told BBC. He explained that the family approached the High Court after Chhattisgarh police refused to release the body following the post-mortem.
The family’s petition stated they wished to perform the final rites in accordance with their traditions in their hometown. They alleged that when family members went to Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, police turned them away and that Andhra Pradesh police did not offer assistance. Dilleswara Rao claimed that despite assurances that the funeral would be conducted respectfully, authorities were hesitant, citing concerns that a public procession could incite Naxalite sympathies. He added that police cited concerns that a funeral procession and memorial could attract new recruits to Naxalism as the reason for refusing to release the body.
The High Court heard the petition on May 24th and was informed by Chhattisgarh’s Advocate General that the post-mortem had been completed. The court ruled that the petitioners could contact Chhattisgarh officials to retrieve the body.
Nambala Kesava Rao hailed from Jiyyannapeta village in the Kotabommali Mandal of Srikakulam district. A BBC reporter who visited the village after Kesava Rao’s death was announced found that few residents remembered him, though some recalled police inquiries about him and his family.
Dilleswara Rao stated that the family is coordinating with community leaders to determine the arrangements for the funeral once the body is returned to Srikakulam district. BBC attempted to contact Srikakulam SP Maheswar Reddy for comment, but he was unavailable. This story will be updated when a response is received.
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