Latest news with #KesavaRao
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Chhattisgarh reluctant to hand over Maoist leader Kesava's body, say family members
SRIKAKULAM: Suspense continues as the government has yet to hand over the body of slain top Maoist leader Namballa Kesava Rao to his family, who are eager to perform the last rites. The Maoist general secretary was killed in an encounter in Narayanpur Chhattisgarh on May 21. Following the encounter, family members, particularly his two brothers, Dhilleswara Rao and Ram Prasad, initiated efforts to bring his mortal remains back to his native village from Chhattisgarh to conduct the last rites according to their customs. 'We have been trying to retrieve Kesava Rao's body and met the senior police officials in both Narayanpur and Srikakulam district in this regard. However, they denied our request, saying it is a policy matter of the government,' Kesava Rao's elder brother, N Dhilleswara Rao, told TNIE. N'pur police dilly-dallying even after HC order: Family 'We approached the AP High Court on Friday, and the court issued an order in our favour. My other brother, Ram Prasad, along with some relatives, went to Narayanpur and presented a copy of the High Court's order to the authorities. Still, there has been no positive response from the police,' he added. Ram Prasad said, 'We've been waiting here for the past three days after submitting our Aadhaar cards to the Narayanpur police to confirm our identity. Yet, they continue to send us back and forth between the district hospital and the police authorities, without any clear assurance of handing over the body. Interestingly, the police officials are now asking us to provide a recent family photograph with Kesava Rao. This is impossible as he had joined the Maoist movement nearly five decades ago. How can we produce a recent photo with him?' Meanwhile, Dhilleswara Rao is planning to file another petition before the HC on Monday, seeking implementation of the earlier order. Advocates associated with Left parties are also reportedly considering approaching the Supreme Court by filing a special leave petition. Various Left party organizations have decided to meet the Srikakulam SP on Monday, according to information received by this newspaper.
New Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Andhra's Jiyyannapeta mourns death of techie-turned-Maoist leader Kesava Rao
SRIKAKULAM: A pall of gloom descended over Jiyyannapeta village in Kotabommali mandal, Srikakulam, the hometown of Maoist leader Namballa Kesava Rao, alias Basava Raju, after he died in a firefight with security forces in an encounter in the dense forests of Abhujmad on the tri-junction of Narayanpur-Bijapur-Dantewada districts, Chhattisgarh. Srikakulam SP K V Maheswara Reddy confirmed the Maoist party general secretary's demise to TNIE, citing official reports from security forces on Wednesday. Born in 1955 in Jiyyannapeta near NH-16, Kesava Rao was the second son of Vasudeva Rao, a late government teacher, and Lakshmi Narayanamma. He is survived by his elder brother, Dhilleswara Rao, a former kabaddi player and retired Port Blair sea port chairman, and younger brother, Ram Prasad, a Visakhapatnam-based real estate businessman, and one of his two sisters. Kesava Rao, a skilled kabaddi and volleyball player, completed his B Tech at the Regional Engineering College, Warangal. While pursuing his M Tech, he joined the People's War Group (PWG) in 1976 at the age of 21, drawn to the ideologies of leaders like Kondapalli Seetharamayya and K G Satyamurthy, and influenced by Srikakulam's anti-landlord movement. After joining the PWG, which later became the Maoist party, Kesava Rao cut ties with his village and family, and remained unmarried. He carried Rs 1.5 cr bounty on his head Known for expertise in IED explosions, Kesava Rao, who carried a bounty of Rs 1.5 crore, was implicated in the 2003 attack on CM N Chandrababu Naidu at Alipiri in Tirupati, as well as the 2010 Dantewada attack, which killed 76 CRPF jawans. His uncle, retired teacher Namballa Satyanarayana, recalled his academic brilliance, while cousin Namballa Raja Sekhar noted his dedication to the Maoist cause.
