Police had to fire at Maoists in self-defence: AP cops to HC

Andhra Pradesh Police today informed the Hyderabad High Court that joint teams of AP and Odisha police had to "fire in self-defence", which resulted in the death of 24 Maoists in Malkangiri district of Odisha area on October 24.

AP Police, which filed a reply in the high court, in response to a PIL submitted by Civil Liberties Committee, said that the incident of firing took place outside of the territory of Andhra Pradesh, in Odisha.

In the reply, Visakhapatnam Rural District Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said that on October 24, they got information about the presence of Maoists in the AOB (Andhra-Odisha Border) and police parties of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh reached the forest area of 'Ramagurah'.
 

"On seeing the police parties, the Maoists, who were armed with latest automatic weapons, opened fire on the police parties resulting in injuries to two Greyhound Commandos, and one of them died. Despite the police calling upon the Maoists to surrender, they did not pay heed to the warning and continued firing, constraining the police parties to retaliate by counter-firing in self-defence," the SP said.

As a result of this firing incident, some Maoists died and some more escaped. The incident was reported at Chitrakonda police station of Malkangiri district and a case was registered, which is under investigation by the Odisha Police. On ascertaining from the Chitrakonda police, it was revealed that they found 24 bodies at the scene of offence (13 men and 11 women), the SP added.

Civil rights activists had earlier moved the high court and filed a PIL seeking a thorough judicial probe into the incident. Advocate V Raghunath, on behalf of Civil Liberties Committee, had filed the litigation and demanded registration of murder cases against the AP Police.

Seeking dismissal of the petition, Sharma said in the reply, "Police have not violated the law and the incident of firing has taken place in Odisha and is being investigated into. The writ petition seems to have been filed by twisting the facts of a legitimate joint-combing exercise and the counter-firing in self-defence."

The court posted the matter for further hearing to November 8.