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Amaravati, Nov 21 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday refused to intervene in the habeas corpus petition filed by the family members of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Thippiri Tirupati alias Devuji and another top Maoist leader Malla Raji Reddy as there was no evidence of their being in police custody.
A bench of Justices C Manavendranath Roy and G Tuhin Kumar said the petitioners can approach the court if they have any evidence.
Devuji’s brother Tippiri Gangadhar and Raji Reddy’s daughter Snehalatha had filed the petition seeking direction to Andhra Pradesh Police to produce Devuji and Raji Reddy before the court.
The petitioners had claimed that two Maoist leaders were taken into custody by the police after an encounter in Alluri Seetharamaraju district on November 18. He claimed that the police had announced the arrest of nine prominent leaders.
Advocate U Jaibhim Rao, appearing for the petitioners, argued that Devuji and Raji Reddy were caught during the operation and urged the court to order the police to produce them. He also said that some security guards accompanying the two leaders were arrested.
Special public prosecutor T Vishnuteja refuted the allegations, saying that Devuji and Raji Reddy were not in police custody.
The High Court, while hearing the petitions on Thursday, had directed the lawyers of the petitioners to present evidence in support of their claim and adjourned the hearing till Friday.
When the hearing resumed on Friday, the petitioners’ lawyers placed a video clip of a top police officer interacting with the media. However, the official was heard saying that nine of Devuji’s security guards have been arrested. When media persons asked about Devuji, the officer made it clear that he was not in police custody.
The division bench concluded that there was no prima facie evidence of the two Maoist leaders being in police custody and hence it could not interfere.
It reiterated that the court can interfere in the habeas corpus petition only when basic material supporting the illegal detention is placed before it.
Over 50 Maoists were arrested by police in five districts of Andhra Pradesh, hours after an encounter in the forests of Alluri Seetharamaraju district on November 18 in which top Maoist commander Madavi Hidma, his wife Raje and four others were killed.
The next day, seven Maoists, including explosives expert Metturi Joga Rao alias Tech Shankar, were killed in Alluri Sitharamanju district.
Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha had clarified on Wednesday that the police had no information about Devuji’s whereabouts.
He said, “We have no information about where Devuji is now. He might be in Chhattisgarh or Telangana. He is not with us. We arrested his security team. Once we talk to him, we will know what his plan was.”
Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta had also clarified on Thursday that Devuji is not in police custody.
–IANS
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