APFSL ballistic experts say Azad was shot from distance

By U Sudhakar Reddy

 AP Forensic Science Laboratory ballistic experts submitted a report stating that Maoist former spokesperson Azad alias

Cherukuri Raj Kumar was shot dead from a distance and not close range. The report came in handy for the State cops who are facing the allegations of staged encounter. APFSL director Mr O N Murthy said ,"we have given the report. The ballistic expert report says that the bullet was fired from distance and not point blank,"

 Earlier Osmania Medical College Forensic Medicine department team has given similar report based on the examination done on the body. Azad was shot dead in the forest area in Adilabad. A bullet pierced through the upper left side of Azad's chest, making an oval shaped 1-cm hole. The bullet exited from the rear left side of the back, leaving behind a roughly 3-cm exit wound. A senior police official said ,"both the reports proved that Azad was shot from a distance and it is not a stage managed encounter. People who are demanding judicial inquiry into the killing has to rethink after seeing these reports,"  The findings of ballistic experts tallied with that of forensic doctors.

Several rights organisations, Swami Agnivesh and Union Railway Minister Ms Mamata Benerjee have been demanding judicial probe into Azad's killing alleging that it is staged managed encounter.

Kalpavriksha removed in highway extension

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Despite repeated requests from environmentalists, the state forest department has failed to protect and translocate the Kalpavriskha trees, a rare and endangered species, situated along the highways. Thus from 20 such trees in the state, there are now only 13.

They have, instead been removed during highway extension and while laying the Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad. At least seven trees have been removed on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway and the ORR.

Kalpavriksha — also known as known as Baobab — live from 100 to thousands of years in the state and are mostly distributed in Krishna, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts.

Mr A. Ravi Kiran, a former research fellow with NRSA said, “We have requested the AP Biodiversity board of the forest department several times asking them to translocate the trees. But there was no response and ultimately they were removed without concern. There were only 20 such trees in the state and now we have lost seven.”

These trees were removed at Chillakallu, Sher Mohammed Pet in Krishna district and Hayatnagar in Ranga Reddy.

Baobab is scientifically known as Adansonia digitata. In India it is known as Kalpavriksha as it provides food, water, shelter and has medicinal values. One of the trees, aged 700-year old, situated near Golconda Fort, has a 36-square-feet hollow and can accommodate at least 12 persons.