Top Maoist leader cremated in Narayanpur; Chhattisgarh cops claim there were no claimants

RAIPUR: Nambala Keshav Rao, assumed name Basavaraju, the superior general secretarial assistant of the prohibited commie Party of India (Maoist) who was killed in a gunfight with security forces on May 21, was cremated in Narayanpur district under official supervision, the Chhattisgarh police said in a statement on Monday evening.The state police said no legal claimants had come forward to claim his body.“Following the operation, the authorities recovered the bodies of 27 Maoists. Of these, 20 were claimed by their family members and were handed over after due verification. However, no one came forward to claim the body of Basavaraju, who was carrying a reward of ₹1 crore announced by the Chhattisgarh government, with additional reward from other states and central agencies,” the statement said.Basavaraju, the top leader of the CPI (Maoist) since 2018, was among the 27 Maoists killed in a gunfight with District Reserve Guard (DRG) in the dense Kudmel-Kalhaja-Jatloor forest area of Abujhmad on May 21.“The cremation was carried out under the supervision of the executive magistrate after obtaining necessary legal orders. Notably, even the family of Kosi alias Hungi, one of the deceased cadres, requested local authorities to perform cremation in Narayanpur due to concerns over health hazards from decomposition,” the statement said.Monday’s move comes days after the Andhra Pradesh high court on Saturday told the family members of two slain Maoist leaders, Basvaraju and Sajja Venkata Nageswara Rao alias Rajanna, to approach the Chhattisgarh police to seek custody of their bodies. Basavaraju’s mother Bharatamma and Nageshwara Rao’s brother Sajja Srinivasa Rao had filed separate petitions to seek directions to the police to hand over their bodies for the final rites.According to the police, Basavaraju, who was previously the head of the Central Military Commission of the banned group, was linked to over 250 criminal cases across various states.“We have also recovered an AK-47 rifle which Basavaraju allegedly looted from security forces during the infamous 2010 Tadmetla ambush in Dantewada,” said the statement.The CPI (Maoist) has confirmed the death of its top leader in what it has called the “Gundekot Massacre”.In a statement released by its Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), Vikalp, on Monday, it was alleged that the security forces were able to get to him due to intelligence leaks and betrayal by some. It also claimed Basavaraj was captured alive and executed and accused the government of violating a ceasefire previously proposed by Basavaraj.