CBI today submitted a preliminary investigative report to the Supreme Court on the encounter of Maoist Azad and will submit its final report in the next few days.

After considering the report, the court adjourned the case till January23 and directed the CBI to submit the full report by Jan 18.

The apex court ordered investigation by the CBI following a hue and cry across the country over allegations that the police had killed Azad in a fake encounter. Mr Azad was killed in a reported encounter a few months ago along with a north Indian Journalist Pande in the Adilabad forests.

The encounter became controversial and several civil liberties organizations demanded a CBI probe into the alleged fake encounter. However, police denied the allegations.

The contents of the preliminary investigative report are not disclosed to the media. CBI officials refused to share the information with the media.  (JUBS)