Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo

Pravir, King of Bastar (Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo 25 June 1929 - 25 March 1966) was the first Oriya ruler and 20th Maharaja of Bastar state who was killed in 1966 by then Congress government of Madhya Pradesh for championing the cause of his subjects. He fought for rights of the tribal people.
The Last Kakatiya ruler of Bastar was adored by his subjects. He was born in 25 June 1929 and was educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur. He succeeded to throne on 28 October 1936.

He was immensely popular among his people, as he took up the cause of the local tribals, and provided political leadership against exploitation of natural resources of the region, and corruption in land reforms, thus he was perceived a threat by the then ruling congress people. On March 25, 1966 he was killed in police firing at the steps of his own palace at Jagdalpur along with many of the royal court. Officially the death toll was twelve including the king and wounded were twenty; the police had fired sixty one rounds.