'Missing' Maoist leader's mother moves rights commission

Hyderabad, March 20 : Mother of a top Maoist leader Azad Saturday approached Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Commission seeking directions to police to produce him before a court.

Karuna, mother of Azad, spokesman of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, moved the commission claiming that he was arrested by police.

Azad, a politburo member of CPI-Maoist remained untraceable since March 12 and the rebels believe he may have been arrested by Andhra Pradesh police. The police, however, have neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

The rights commission asked Director General of Police Girish Kumar to submit a report by Monday on the complaint.

The central committee of the CPI-Maoist informed the revolutionary poet Varavara Rao that Azad, pen name of Cherkuri Rajkumar, remained untraceable and there is a strong possibility that he has been kept in illegal custody by the Andhra Pradesh police.

Maoists allege that Azad must have been arrested near Mumbai.

A group of intellectuals have already urged the central government to direct the police to produce him before court. They expressed the apprehension that Azad's life could be in danger.

Last week, two senior leaders of the CPI-Maoist, Sakhamuri Appa Rao and S. Kondal Reddy were gunned down by Andhra police in two different incidents in Prakasam and Warangal districts.

However, Maoists alleged that police arrested them from Maharashtra and killed them in cold blood.