RK, Top Maoists In Police Custody: Varavara Rao

Revolutionary Writers Organization (Virasam) leader Varavara Rao on Thursday alleged that top Maoist leader and Central Committee member Akkiraju Haragopal, a.k.a. R K, Ganesh and several other senior Maoist leaders were taken into the custody of the Andhra Pradesh Police after the maoist encounter of October 24 in the Malkangiri district.

Rao demanded that all maoist leaders arrested by the police be produced before the High Court.

He said that there was a threat to their lives if they were in police custody, and warned that the TDP-led government would be held responsible if anything happened to them.

Initial reports and police officials including DGP Sambasiva Rao earlier claimed that R K, Gajarla Ravi and others had escaped, and were not with the cops.

But since RK's body could not be recovered after the encounter, it is being suspected that RK and the rest might be in the custody of the police. It is said that the encounter was planned only after it became known that RK and other top leaders were camping there.

Meanwhile, the police continued its combing operations on Thursday in Malkangiri. As per reports, the manhunt for RK and his troop is still one.