Slain Maoist leaders cremated in Andhra Pradesh

Two slain Maoist leaders, Shakamuri Appa Rao and S Kondal Reddy were cremated in the presence of hundreds of their supporters in their respective native villages in Warangal and Medak district on Sunday.

While the state committee member S Kondal Reddy was cremated in Chittapur village of Medak district in the morning, Appa Rao was cremated in Khanapur village of Warangal district in the afternoon.

Revolutionary poet Vara Vara Rao, was present in both the funerals where he paid tributes to both the "martyrs". He reiterated his charge that both the Maoist leaders were killed by the police in fake encounters after they were arrested.

Shakamuri Appa Rao was shot dead by the police in Prakasham district and Kondal Reddy was killed in Tadwai mandal of Warangal district, both on Friday. Appa Rao's body was brought to his native village around midnight on Saturday amid tight security. His parents and brothers received the body.

The post-mortem of Appa Rao's body was performed at Markapuram government hospital in Prakasham district before it was handed over to the family members. Though Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee president N Sheshaiah had approached the high court seeking a post-mortem, his plea was dismissed by a two judge bench headed by Chief Justice Nisar Ahmad Kukru. The petitioner also sought booking a criminal case against the police officials involved in the encounter but the bench said that it will hear the plea at a later date.

Kondal Reddy's postmortem was done at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Warangal city in the presence of second additional Munsif Magistrate Karunakar Raju, a lawyer and forensic experts from Kakatiya Medical College. It was done after the district human right court issued directions on the post-mortem. The entire proceeding was video recorded.  Earlier Kondal Reddy's brother and former MLA of Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Ramlinga Reddy alleged that Kondal Reddy was killed in a fake encounter. He also alleged that Kondal Reddy's body bore the marks of torture and electric shocks.

Kondal Reddy's wife Madhavi Joshi has also alleged that her husband was arrested by the police and then killed. She lodged a complaint with the State Human Rights Commission that she and her relatives living in Balanagar area of Hyderabad were being followed by plain clothed policemen. The SHRC has directed the assistant commissioner of police, Balanagar, to provide security to the family.

Meanwhile the police seized an arms dump in Pydiparu village in West Godavari district, allegedly belonging to Kondal Reddy. Police said they found the address of the dump from the papers found in the kitbag of Kondal Reddy after the encounter.