Veterinarian case: Kin of suspects killed in fake encounter seek action on policemen

The families of four people, accused of rape and murder of a woman veterinarian and were killed in an alleged encounter with the police near here in 2019, on Friday sought financial help and also punishment to the policemen who shot dead the suspects.

Hyderabad:The families of four people, accused of rape and murder of a woman veterinarian and were killed in an alleged encounter with the police near here in 2019, on Friday sought financial help and also punishment to the policemen who shot dead the suspects. Asked to comment on the report of Supreme Court-constituted three-member Inquiry Commission, headed by former apex court judge V S Sirpurkar, that inquired into the circumstances leading to the encounter, Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of AIMIM, which is regarded as a friendly party of the ruling TRS in Telangana, said he is against any encounter as they weaken the rule of law.

The reaction of the families came after the Supreme Court appointed three-member Commission, which inquired into the alleged encounter, said in its report that the four were deliberately fired at with an intent to cause their death. "We had told the Commission that they were killed in a fake encounter. We have been saying it was a fake encounter," said Rajappa, father of Jollu Shiva, one of the deceased suspects. The policemen involved in the fake encounter should be punished, he said, adding that he is confident of getting justice as the matter has been referred to the High Court by the Supreme Court now.

P Hussain, father of Mohammed Arif, said the police personnel responsible for his son's death should be punished as they did a grave mistake. We are saying that they (policemen) should be punished. Justice has to be rendered," Hussain said. "We are poor people. We don't have any source of income because our sons (bread winners) were killed. We have not received any assistance from the State government and hence, we want some financial help," said the mother of Chennakeshavulu, another suspect who is dead.

Earlier, the parents of the deceased had alleged that their children were arrested illegally and contended they were minors at the time of their arrest and death. Several civil society organisations cried foul alleging that the deceased were deliberately shot dead by the police. Nearby villages where the alleged encounter took place showered flowers on policemen hailing it as instant justice after the killing. The Commission said it is of the opinion that three of the four suspects were minors while the prime accused was aged 26 at the time of their death.

According to the Cyberabad police here, on the night of November 27, 2019, the accused kidnapped the veterinarian and killed her after sexually assaulting her, and then took the body in a lorry to Chattanpalli near Hyderabad where it was burned under a culvert. The four were arrested on November 29. They were killed in police-firing on December 6, 2019 at Chattanpalli when they were taken to the scene of the crime, i.e near the culvert, where the charred remains of the 25-year-old veterinarian were found on November 28. The police took the accused there to recover the phone, wrist-watch and others belonging to the victim.

Meanwhile, Owaisi, talking to reporters when his attention was drawn towards the Commission's report, said: "I am against all encounters -- whether encounters done during Chandrababu time, whether it is Sohrabuddin encounter or whether it is Nayeem encounter or whether it is Shamshabad encounter. Encounter weakens rule of law. Government has to run as per rule of law not rule by gun. I want just to say this." The Cyberabad police had said its personnel resorted to "retaliatory" firing after two of the accused opened fire at the police after snatching their weapons. The police said they were attacked also with stones and sticks, resulting in injuries to two policemen.

PTI