Azad killing: Andhra police chief rules out judicial probe

HYDERABAD - The Andhra Pradesh Police Sunday said there was no need for a judicial probe into the killing of top Maoist leader Azad in a gunfight but promised a comprehensive police inquiry to clear all doubts.

“There is no need for any such inquiry,” state police chief R.R. Girish Kumar said when asked to comment on demands from various quarters for a judicial probe.

He, however, promised comprehensive investigations by the police.

Reiterating that Azad was killed in a “real” exchange of fire with police in the forests of Adilabad district last month, he said allegations by Maoists that the gunfight was staged were “baseless”.

Girish Kumar declined to comment on Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement that Azad was murdered.

He alleged that frontal organisations of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) were “unnecessarily taking a point in the post-mortem report and blowing it up in a disproportionate manner”.

He said Maoists were following a standard operating procedure (SOP) to lay the blame on the police for each and everything.

“There is growing concern that outfits of Maoist organisations are trying to make false allegations and accusations at various forums and put the entire paramilitary forces and police in the dock,” he said.

“When somebody from their cadre misses an appointment, immediately they file writ petition or habeas corpus petition in high court or human rights commission saying that police have abducted or kidnapped him. When the person appears they keep quiet,” the police chief added.

An exchange of fire took place between police and armed Maoists in the jungles of Adilabad district on the night of July 1-2 in which Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad was killed.