On Tuesday, a Telangana court dismissed the petitions for a murder case against policemen involved in the alleged staged gun battle which killed journalist Hemchandra Pandey and top Maoist Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad.

The petitions filed by Pandey's wife Babita and Azad's wife K. Padma were dismissed by Judicial First Class Magistrate in Adilabad district.

The alleged gun battle took place on July 2, 2010 in the Sarkeguda forests of Adilabad district of then undivided Andhra Pradesh. While the families and human rights activists alleged the gunfight as ‘staged’ and claimed the duo were murdered by police after their arrest in Maharashtra.

Seeking a comprehensive probe, Pandey's wife and social activist Swami Agnivesh also moved the Supreme Court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after conducting a probe concluded in its report in 2012 that the gunfight was genuine and cleared the Andhra Pradesh Police.

In the meantime, Azad's wife said the Adilabad court order would be challenged by them in the high court.

Azad, a member of the central committee and politburo of CPI-Maoist, carried a reward of Rs.12 lakh on his head. He is considered as second in the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) hierarchy.