SC orders suspected Maoist’s body be preserved after son claims father killed in staged gunfight

The Supreme Court on Friday directed that the body of Katha Ramchandra Reddy, identified by the state as a Maoist leader who was killed in an alleged gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh this month, be preserved in a mortuary until the High Court hears a petition filed by his son challenging the authenticity of the gunfight, the Hindustan Times reported.

On September 22, Ramchandra Reddy, carrying a bounty of nearly Rs 2 crore in seven states, and another suspected Maoist, Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy, were killed in an alleged gunfight in Narayanpur district’s Abhujmaad forest, The Telegraph quoted Chhattisgarh Police as saying.

The alleged gunfight had taken place during a search operation that was launched after intelligence inputs indicated suspected Maoists were present in the area, according to police.

However, Ramchandra Reddy’s son, Raja Chandra, has alleged that the gunfight was staged, the Hindustan Times reported.

He moved the Supreme Court after the Chhattisgarh High Court declined to urgently hear his plea before closing for the Durga Puja vacation.

The petition sought preservation of the body so that a fresh post-mortem examination could be conducted. It also called for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe by officials from outside Chhattisgarh.

During the hearing, Advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioner, submitted before court that an independent investigation should be conducted in...

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