HC Summons AP Govt., Police Over Maoist Encounter

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed on October 24 in the Hyderabad High Court by civil rights activists seeking a probe into the recent police encounter of maoist members in the Andhra Pradesh - Odisha Border zone in the Malkangiri district, responding to which the High Court pulled up the Andhra Pradesh government and the AP Police today seeking a detailed report on the operation.

The "carnage", which went on for three straight days, took place in collaboration between State and Central forces. Around 27 insurgents were slain during the operation.

As per the PIL filed, the mission took place out of bounds of the jurisdiction of the AP Police. It claimed that the people who were during the ambush were only there for a meeting unarmed. The PIL sought information regarding the permissions received by the AP government to carry out the task.

A key point that has been raised in the PIL is that since the bifurcation of AP, all insurgents along the borders shared by Telangana, AP and Odisha have been inactive. It questioned the motive behind killing "inactive and non-violent insurgents", and termed it a "crime against humanity".

It demanded the arrest of AP DGP Sambasiva Rao under Section 302 of the IPC (inhuman acts).

Responding to this, the HC sent a notice to the AP government and the police questioning them on the motive behind crossing their jurisdiction and infiltrating, and postponed the hearing to next week.

While the AP government and the police, along with central forces are holding their ground on their stance against insurgency in the State and the nation, several human rights and civil rights organizations, and villagers along the AOB are raising doubts against the government's initiative in the region, alleging that the government was trying to grab precious natural resources that were being "protected" by insurgents.