Andhra Pradesh govt agrees to CBI probe into Maoist, scribe killing

Anhdra Pradesh government today agreed to a CBI probe into the killing of top Maoist leader Cherukuri Rajkumar and a journalist in an alleged fake encounter with the police after the Supreme Court questioned how the state Governor and DGP can give a clean chit to the cops involved in the incident.

A bench of justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha, however, reserved its order for a CBI probe after senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the state, sought time for seeking instructions from the government and allowing him to talk to the Union home ministry for ageeing to a CBI probe.

The counsel made the offer after the bench expressed concern at the allegation that the Maoist leader and scribe Hemchandra Pandey were bumped off in a fake encounter and yet the state governor and DGP had given a clean chit to the accused police officers.

Counsel Prashant Bhushan, appearing for Bineeta Pandey wife of the slain journalist, sought a probe by an independent investigating agency as the state police he alleged was biased.