HC directs Ker govt to preserve corpse of 2 slain maoists

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to preserve until further orders the bodies of two Maoists who were killed in an encounter in Agali forests last week after their kin filed a plea against a court order permitting their cremation.

It also directed the government to keep the bodies of slain Maoists-- Karthi and Manivasagam --at the Thrissur Government Medical College mortuary and produce documents, including post-mortem reports, before it. Justice K P Narayana Pisharody gave the order on the petition by relatives of the two Maoists, challenging a Sessions court order permitting cremation of the bodies as per rules.

Relatives of Karthi and Manivasagan had approached the Sessions Court to stop the cremation until the post-mortem report was out. In their plea filed before the High Court, they alleged that the Sessions Court did not consider the plea for an independent and impartial probe into the case.

The Sessions Court in Palakkad had disposed of the matter on Monday, after finding that there was no lapse on the part of the police and none of the specific guidelines of the apex Ccurt were ignored or flouted. Four Maoists-- Karthi, Rema, Aravind and Manivasagan-- were killed allegedly in an exchange of fire started by the ultras during a two-day police combing operation in Palakkad district last week.