On the morning of 2^nd July 2010 member of the Politburo and Spokesperson of CPI (Maoist) was shot dead in a fake encounter by Andhra Pradesh police in the forests of Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh. The account dished out by the police appears to be false and a poor attempt at covering up what clearly was a fake encounter i.e. a cold blooded murder by the police. It is reported that he along with another person was picked up a day earlier from Nagpur in Maharashtra. This brutal and senseless murder is one more such in the infamous saga of the cold blooded killings of revolutionaries by AP police. It is also reported that the Andhra Special Intelligence Bureau was on his trail for months. This killing comes in the course of ‘war against people’s struggles’ launched by the current UPA Govt. since September last.

58 year old Cherukuri Rajkumar was an MTech from the Regional Engineering College, Warangal and had spent almost four decades in revolutionary work with three decades in the underground. He was the  spokesperson of CPI (Maoist) and it was the duty of the Central Govt. to ensure that he is treated as a political prisoner. In fact the Central Govt. and state govts. treat revolutionaries as dreaded criminals and not as political prisoners. This attitude of the ruling classes is in line with their attitude towards poor and ordinary people of the country- workers and peasants- whom they expect to bear with their exploitation and oppression and neither raise their voice nor struggle against them in which such struggle is criminalized.

His killing has come in the backdrop of so-called offer of talks by the Central Govt. to CPI (Maoist). It may come as a surprise to some peace activists but this killing thoroughly exposes the real intentions of the Central Govt.

Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy issued the following statement dated July 6^th 2010 :

Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy strongly condemns killing of Com. Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad, member of the Politburo and Spokesperson of CPI(Maoist) by  Special Intelligence Branch of Andhra Pradesh police in Adilabad forest in a fake encounter. AP police claimed to have killed him along with Hem Chandra Pandey in an encounter with police on 2^nd July, 2010 morning but all facts and circumstances of the killing clearly establish that this was out and out a fake encounter.

Killing of such a senior leader of a communist revolutionary organization clearly shows the heinous murderous policy of the govts. of ruling classes to physically eliminate leaders of such organizations to suppress the communist revolutionary movement in the country. This fake encounter also proves utter insincerity of the Central Govt. while it talks of dialogue with CPI (Maoist). It appears that the latter is only meant for intellectuals desirous of “peace with justice” while the Govt. is hell bent on perpetuating thoroughly unjust, oppressive and exploitative order and on intensifying oppression of tribals and suppression of the struggles of the rural poor. The present police-paramilitary offensive of Central Govt. including “Operation Greenhunt” is for the above aims. The Central Govt. has also declared drafting of Army in this suppression though at present the Govt. is talking of Army’s “supportive” role.

CPI(ML)-New Democracy demands that the police officials who executed this murder and Govt. functionaries who ordered it should be tried for murder. These all should be immediately arrested for such trial.

Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy calls upon the people of the country to see the real murderous face of the rulers and build a powerful movement against suppression of communist revolutionaries and repression on people’s movements including fake encounters and beat back the attacks of the reactionary ruling classes against the revolutionary movement. We also call upon all revolutionary, progressive and democratic forces to mobilize the people in protest against the trampling of democratic rights of the struggling people in order to suppress their revolutionary struggles, including killing of communist revolutionary leaders and cadres in fake encounter. We appeal to civil liberties and democratic rights organizations and activists to raise their voice against this fake encounter and against Govt. policy of suppression of communist revolutionaries.

Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy pays its homage to Com. Azad.

Immediately after news of his killing surfaced, AP State Committee of CPI(ML)-ND had issued the statement on July 2^nd 2010 which is being given below:

Andhra Pradesh State committee of CPI (ML)-New Democracy strongly condemns the brutal killing of Com. C. Rajkumar alias Azad in a staged encounter along with another associate. The story doled out by the police that they came across a Group of "Naxalites" while combing the forest area in Wankhede is a concoction to create the facade of an encounter. Infact Azad was picked by the police in Sitamarhi in Nagpur city, subjected to third degree methods and gunned down in cold blood.

False "encounters" and gunning down communist revolutionaries  in cold blood has been one key instrument in the gamut of state violence on the movement.

Andhra Pradesh state committee of the party calls upon all democracy-loving people to condemn protest the  brutal killing of CPI (Maoist) leader Azad. It demands that criminal proceedings should be initiated against the police officials responsible for the killing of Azad. It demands a stop to the policy of annihilation of communist revolutionaries in the name of encounters.