Hand over dead Maoists to their families, demand Friends and Relatives Association

Visakhapatnam: Secretary of Friends and Relatives Association, Padma Kumari asked the Vizag Rural police to hand over the bodies of five Maoists who were gunned down in the alleged encounter with the police on September 22 and September 23 in Vizag Agency.

In a release here on Friday, Padma asked the police to announce that three Maoists were killed on September 22 and another two on September 23. The police said that the dead Maoists were not identified on the first day. However, the following day, after two more activists died, the police said that all five belonged to Chhattisgarh and announced their names. They also announced that the Chhattisgarh government had been informed about the incident.

The Friends and Relatives Association in a recent press meet demanded that the bodies be handed over to the family members. The police did not respond to the demand and intended to hand over the bodies to the municipality for burial. According to the rules, the bodies can be buried if they are not identified within 72 hours. However, that’s not the case now. Since the Maoists’ party announced the names, she demanded that if the bodies are not returned, then they will approach the court.

Padma said all five were members of Third CRC Platoon of the Maoist party. They are identified as Ramesh, platoon commander, South Bastar division and native of Gandamuru village of Sukuma district; Vimala, platoon member and a native of Bijapur district; Bhuma, a party member hailing from Balingar; Budhiri, platoon member hailing from Sukuma district; and Ajay, party member hailing from Bijapur district.

Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Gautam Sawang visited Vizag on Friday and held a meeting with the Superintendents of Police of Vizag, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts. He asked them to chalk out strategies to flush out Maoists from the region.