Andhra, centre issued notice on killing of Maoist leader Azad

New Delhi, January 14: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the central and Andhra Pradesh governments on the killing of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) spokesperson Chirukuri Rajkumar alias Azad and journalist Hemendra Pandey in a police shootout in July 2010.

The apex court bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Justice RM Lodha issued the notice on a petition by Swami Agnivesh and Hemedra Pandey’s widow Binita Pandey.

The government has maintained that Azad was killed in a police shootout in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh July 2.

However, the Maoists have alleged that he was killed in a staged shootout at Nagpur in Maharashtra.

-IANS