Chhattisgarh Police reluctant to hand over Maoist leader Basavaraju’s body, fearing ‘hero’s farewell’

Anti-Naxal op

Chhattisgarh Police seem reluctant to hand over the body of Nambala Keshav Rao, popularly known as Basavaraju, the slain general secretary of the CPI (Maoist), who was killed in an encounter last week in Narayanpur, The Times of India reported.

According to the police, if his family organises a public funeral, it could glorify him, encouraging support for the Maoist leader who was responsible for the deaths of many security personnel and innocent villagers.

Basavaraju is survived by his stepmother and brothers in his native place in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district. His brother and few cousins have approached Chhattisgarh Police over the last few days to claim his body for performing last rites in Andhra Pradesh.

Chhattisgarh Police is verifying the claims and will consider all aspects before taking a final call, TOI reported.

Senior police officials have said that they might follow the example set in Jammu and Kashmir. Since 2019, terrorists killed in encounters there are not handed over to their families but buried quietly by the police at special grounds, with only a few close family members allowed.

"We may find a middle ground and allow relatives claiming Basavaraju's body to attend the funeral to be conducted by police at a secure location, away from the public eye. This would avoid a 'law and order' situation, and ensure the funeral is not mischievously converted into 'hero's farewell'," TOI quoted a government official as saying.

Police also said that while bodies of many Maoists killed in the Narayanpur operation have been returned to their families, it is risky to do the same for a leader like Basavaraju. He had allegedly not been in contact with his family for over 40 years due to his secretive lifestyle. None of his relatives have publicly condemned his Maoist activities or spoken to the media. When questioned, they distanced themselves from him, the report added.

Another police officer told TOI that some relatives might have been encouraged by Maoist supporters to claim Basavaraju’s body. The goal would be to hold a public funeral to honour him as a hero, which could increase sympathy for Maoists and encourage their cause. The police want to avoid any such situation.