Hyderabad: Eminent civil rights activist and prominent lawyer K.G. Kannabiran, 81, passed away in Hyderabad after a brief illness on Thursday evening at 6.30 pm. Last rites of Kannabiran were performed Thursday night at Maredpally in Secunderabad.
He is survived by wife Vasanta, two daughters Kalpana and Chitra and a son Arvind.
Born in 1929, Mr. Kannabiran obtained master's degree in Economics and a degree in law from the Madras University before shifting to Hyderabad to set up legal practice in 1961. Since the late 1960s, he began to defend political dissenters that eventually marked the beginning of his over three-decade-long civil liberties and human rights work.
Government also used his services on a few occasions to hold talks with the Maoists for the release of hostages.Kannabiran was instrumental in getting People's War founders Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, K G Satya Murthy and others from the Secunderabad conspiracy case and Ramnagar conspiracy case released .
Mr. Kannabiran was always at hand to negotiate during deadlock between the State and the extremist organisation. He played a key role in the release of seven IAS officers and others held hostage by the People's War extremists in East Godavari district in December 1987.
Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy and Maoist sympathizers Gaddar and Varavara Rao were among those who attended the funeral.
He was a lover of classical Indian music. He authored a book ‘The wages of impunity: power, justice and human rights'. Several political parties and people's organisation condoled his untimely death. Among them were Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, Lok Satta Party chief N. Jayaprakash Narayan and CPI (M) State committee secretary B. V. Raghavulu.
He is survived by wife Vasanta, two daughters Kalpana and Chitra and a son Arvind.
Born in 1929, Mr. Kannabiran obtained master's degree in Economics and a degree in law from the Madras University before shifting to Hyderabad to set up legal practice in 1961. Since the late 1960s, he began to defend political dissenters that eventually marked the beginning of his over three-decade-long civil liberties and human rights work.
Government also used his services on a few occasions to hold talks with the Maoists for the release of hostages.Kannabiran was instrumental in getting People's War founders Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, K G Satya Murthy and others from the Secunderabad conspiracy case and Ramnagar conspiracy case released .
Mr. Kannabiran was always at hand to negotiate during deadlock between the State and the extremist organisation. He played a key role in the release of seven IAS officers and others held hostage by the People's War extremists in East Godavari district in December 1987.
Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy and Maoist sympathizers Gaddar and Varavara Rao were among those who attended the funeral.
He was a lover of classical Indian music. He authored a book ‘The wages of impunity: power, justice and human rights'. Several political parties and people's organisation condoled his untimely death. Among them were Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, Lok Satta Party chief N. Jayaprakash Narayan and CPI (M) State committee secretary B. V. Raghavulu.
