Daijiworld Media Network – Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Jun 7: In a serious allegation, civil rights activists and the Telangana Civil Rights Association on Saturday accused Chhattisgarh police of detaining senior Maoist leaders in Bijapur and killing them in staged encounters. The police have strongly refuted the charges, asserting that all operations are being conducted lawfully and in line with the Constitution.
The accusations emerged after top Maoist leaders, including CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member Sudhakar and Telangana State Committee leader Mailarapu Adelu alias Bhaskar, were killed in separate encounters in Bijapur district's Indravati National Park area on Thursday and Friday. Their deaths follow the recent killing of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju in Narayanpur two weeks ago.
In a statement, the Telangana Civil Rights Association claimed both Sudhakar and Bhaskar were in police custody prior to being killed, contradicting the official narrative that they died in armed confrontations. The group further alleged that several more Maoist leaders remain in custody and face a similar fate if not presented before a magistrate.
President of the civil rights association, Lakshman Gaddam, said, “We have credible information that Sudhakar and Bhaskar were taken into custody and later killed in a fake encounter. We demand that the remaining leaders be immediately produced in court.”
Echoing similar concerns, Bastar-based civil rights activist Bela Bhatia stated, “One Maoist, who escaped police custody, informed a human rights organisation in Telangana that about 20 Maoists, including Sudhakar and Bhaskar, had been detained. The others — including Bandi Prakash, Dilip, Seetu, Ramanna, Munna, Sunitha, and Mahesh — are still believed to be in custody.”
Responding to these claims, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sunderraj P dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and emphasised that all police actions follow legal protocols. “All operational activities are conducted in accordance with the Constitution, ensuring due process and accountability,” he said, warning against the spread of “unverified and speculative narratives.”
He added that the ongoing operations in the National Park area had led to the recovery of arms and bodies, confirming that combing efforts are still in progress.
The civil rights body has demanded an immediate ceasefire and urged the government to initiate peace talks with the Maoists to prevent further bloodshed.
As tensions rise, human rights advocates are calling for judicial oversight and transparency in ongoing anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh.