Nambala Keshav Rao was caught alive and killed by police, claim Maoists

CPI (Maoist) Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee spokesperson seeks to know why Modi government that agreed for a ceasefire with Pakistan failed to extend the same courtesy to Maoists

Kothagudem: CPI (Maoist) Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee spokesperson Vikalp alleged that Maoist Central Committee general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao was caught alive and killed by security forces.

In a statement released to the media on the May 21 encounter in Bastar region, he alleged that the encounter was a result of information passed to police by surrendered naxals. Intelligence sources received information about the presence of Keshav Rao in Maad region from six surrendered company party committee members, who were in Keshav Rao’s security team. A member of the unified command also turned a traitor, making it easy for the security forces to track Keshav Rao and his team, Vikalp alleged.

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He said that on the night of May 20, nearly 20,000 security personnel surrounded the area where a team of 35 Maoists was present. Five encounters took place in 10 hours the previous day and the Maoists had escaped from police, but they were blockaded for 60 hours. In the final operation on May 21, the security forces eliminated as many as 28 Maoists protecting Keshav Rao. Referring to measures to protect Keshav Rao, Vikalp said they failed in the task, adding that Keshav Rao was not ready to move to a safe zone and wanted to lead the team.

Stating that May 21 would remain a dark day in history, Vikalp sought to know why the Modi government that agreed for a ceasefire with Pakistan failed to extend the same courtesy to Maoists. Maoists were creating a conducive atmosphere for peace talks and had not resorted to any offence against the police for the last 40 days, he maintained.

Meanwhile, the family members of Keshav Rao and another slain Maoist, Sajja Venkata Nageshwar Rao, took out a protest rally at Narayanpur district headquarter in Chhattisgarh and staged a dharna in front of the SP office asking the police to hand over their bodies. Despite the AP High Court’s direction to Chhattisgarh police officials on Saturday to hand over his body to family members, the police have allegedly refused the same.

Family members of Maoist Burra Rakesh alias Vivek also staged a dharna at Chintagattu in Hasanparthy in Warangal demanding the police to hand over his body for performing last rites.