VIJAYAWADA: The family members of Nambala Keshava Rao, who was killed in a recent encounter in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, filed an urgent petition in the High Court, requesting the authorities to hand over his body to them. The petitioners, Rao’s mother and brother, expressed suspicions over the encounter and stated that their efforts to collect the body were unsuccessful.
“Despite multiple efforts to collect the body, we were unsuccessful. The officials’ behaviour is raising several doubts. We believe it was a fake encounter. That is why they are reluctant to hand over the bodies,” the petition read. The family members claimed that they received confirmation of Rao’s death from the police authorities, but the officials’ actions have been uncooperative.
The petitioners further alleged that the Srikakulam SP was obstructing the process, and violating rules by delaying the hand over of the bodies for the past two days.
“According to Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), if a death occurs in police custody, a magistrate must conduct an independent inquiry, and the deceased’s family must be allowed to be present,” they claimed.
The petitioners argued that the Srikakulam SP, by siding with the Chhattisgarh police, was violating constitutional and human rights. “Within 24 hours of death, the government must send a civil surgeon for examination. The authorities must treat bodies with dignity and allow families to perform last rites,” Nambala Dilleswara Rao pleaded in the petition.
The petitioners had no other option but to approach the High Court, seeking an order to hand over the body, and preserve it until then.
A similar petition was filed by Sajja Srinivasa Rao, seeking directions to release the body of his brother Sajja Venkata Nageswara Rao, who died in the same encounter. The two petitions will be heard by a bench comprising Justice Nunepalli Harinath and Justice Yadavalli Lakshmana Rao on Saturday.