Maoist sympathiser demands judicial probe into Azad’s killing

HYDERABAD - Maoist sympathiser Varavara Rao Friday demanded a judicial probe into the killing of Maoist leader Azad in the light of his autopsy report which says he was shot from close range.

The revolutionary writer said the autopsy report had rubbished the police claim that Azad was killed in an encounter.

“The government should immediately order a judicial probe into the incident to bring out the facts and punish the guilty,” he said.

Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad, a top leader and spokesman of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was killed along with a journalist Hemchandra Pandey in Jogapur forests in Adilabad district July 2.

The police claimed that they were killed in a gunfight but the Maoist party and rights groups said that police had caught them in Nagpur, Maharashtra and then shot them dead in cold blood.

Varavara Rao pointed out that from day one he had been saying that it was a stage-managed encounter. “The autopsy report has vindicated our stand,” he said.

According to the report, the bullet which killed Azad left a one centimetre oval-shaped wound with darkening burnt edges. Experts say such darkening edges in the entry wound happens only due to burns caused by a bullet fired from very close quarters, mostly from less than a foot.

Varavara Rao reiterated that Azad was caught and killed when he was working to create conducive atmosphere for talks with the Indian government.

The Maoists claimed that Azad was carrying Swami Agnivesh’s letter written to him suggesting three likely dates in July when the cease-fire could go into effect.

The police, however, denied that they found any such letter.