HyderabadThe Supreme Court on Friday transferred the proceedings of the Telangana High Court in the alleged encounter killing of four men accused of raping and killing a 27-year-old veterinary doctor in Hyderabad in 2019.
The top court also rejected the Telangana government’s request to keep sealed the report of the Supreme Court-appointed inquiry commission probing the ‘encounter’ and ordered all the parties concerned to submit a report.
On 28 November 2019, a 27-year-old veterinarian was allegedly gang rape and murder in Hyderabad. On November 29, the four accused were arrested and on December 4, the police were taken into judicial custody.
Telangana Police on 6th December morning Shot dead All the four accused – Mohammad Arif, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen and Chennakesavulu – allegedly tried to escape. They were taken to an underpass next to Chatanpally village near Hyderabad on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway to reconstruct the crime scene.
Within a week of the alleged encounter, the Supreme Court appointed a three-member probe panel, comprising former Supreme Court judge Justice VS Sirpurkar (retd), former CBI chief DR Karthikeyan and former Bombay High Court judge Justice RP Sondurbaldota (retired). were. Murders.
During the investigation, 54 witnesses including 15 policemen were examined, which lasted for 47 days.
On Friday, a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana and Justice Hima Kohli submitted the inquiry report – the report was submitted in February but was put on record in the court on Friday – and issued directions that all Records related to the case will be sent to the Telangana High Court, which will decide on the further course of action based on the report.
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‘Investigation a public inquiry’
Rejecting the request of Shyam Divan, senior advocate for the Telangana government, to keep the report sealed, CJI Ramana questioned the need for it. He said that the commission has found someone guilty and the matter should now be looked into by the High Court.
The Chief Justice also pointed out that the entire inquiry conducted by the Commission was a public inquiry.
Advocate Dewan had insisted that keeping in view the gravity of the offense alleged to have been committed by the four accused and in the interest of justice, the report be kept sealed.
However, the CJI said that the submissions in the court cannot be made without going through the report filed, adding that the next question is what action is to be taken based on the findings of the report and the High Court will now look into that matter. And not the top court.
Diwan said that in the past in some cases the report was kept sealed, but CJI Ramana said that there was nothing confidential in the report.
During the investigation, the Commission on several occasions noted How the police personnel came “well prepared” and simply repeated the same answer to different questions.
On his “inconsistent answers”, especially those of Sub-Inspector Kore Venkateswaralu – from whom a 9mm pistol was allegedly snatched by one of the accused – the commission had given him a false warning for lying under oath.
(Edited by Polomi Banerjee)
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