सूचना एक्सप्रेस: This time she could not write to Chief Justice, and he was bumped off

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

This time 75-year-old Cherukuri Karuna could not get enough time to react. Her Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad, No. 3 in hierarchy in CPI (Maoist), was allegedly picked in Nagpur on Thursday and bumped off Friday early morning in Adilabad. Officially though, he has been killed in a police encounter.

Maoists have waged a war against the country and violent Naxalism leaves hundreds of innocent countrymen dead every year. This cannot be supported and the menace must be dealt with sternly. Having said that, custodial killing of even Maoists or terrorists in staged encounters – that have become a routine, Gujarat notorious for it – cannot be supported either.

According to media reports, Azad, a politburo and central committee member of banned CPI (Maoist), along with one associate, was killed in an alleged encounter in Jogarpur forest area, 220 km from Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh. However, Times of India report says the villagers say they did not hear exchange of fire, and the site of encounter does not support the police version of the encounter. Moreover, the paper says, a high profile Maoist leader like Azad generally moves in a ring of cadre security of 50-60 armed personnel. The report says that Azad was picked in Nagpur by Andhra Pradesh police on Thursday and he was killed in a fake encounter. Media and his mother hardly got time enough to react to the Nagpur picking.

Last time Azad was allegedly picked by same Andhra Pradesh police in Mumbai on March 12, 2010. The news was published in The Hindu on March 20, prompting his mother Cherukuri Karuna to write to Chief Justice of India urging him to order probe into his missing.

In the letter written to Chief Justice on March 20, Karuna had requested Chief Justice “to order an investigation to find out the whereabouts of my son without any delay as well as the lawfulness of his detention. I request you to direct the central government and the various state governments to produce my son before your presence as per the requirements of law within 24 hours. I am worried that he will be killed any time soon and therefore I earnestly plea for your Lordship’s immediate and urgent intervention to save my son’s life.”

Karuna had urged the Chief Justice to consider her prayer as habeas corpus as she expressed apprehension Azad would be killed in fake encounter. She wrote:
“I am 75 years old and confined to my bed due to ill health and old age. Today I came to know from the newspaper reports that my son Cherukuri Rajkumar (57) was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police in Mumbai, probably on 12th march 2010. As per the report of The Hindu published 20th march 2010 he has remained untraceable for all these days. Another report in the same newspaper alleges that he has been arrested for being a Maoist. When his whereabouts was enquired with the help of several prominent people, the Andhra Pradesh police denied that he has been arrested by them. It is a matter of common knowledge that when persons are being taken into custody without any official announcement or production before a court, they are killed in the name of encounters. I am deeply worried about my son’s safety and his life.”

Azad was saved then. Her fear proved true this time. Whether it is Atif, Sajid or Azad they have fell victim to growing, expanding police raj.

Karuna’s letter to Chief Justice was accessed by RTI activist Afroz Alam Sahil. Sahild had filed RTI on March 25, 2010 and he got copy of the letter from Supreme Court on May 4.