The Friday encounter killing of dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey has #HyderabadEncounter trending on the social media, in an instant recollection of another sensational Friday encounter that occurred seven months back.
Like in the Kanpur incident, the famed Hyderabad “shootout” of the four accused in the monstrous rape and murder of a young veterinarian took place outside the city. It too was an early morning occurrence.
Mohammed alias Arif (26) a lorry driver and A-1, and three others – Gollu Shiva, Gollu Naveen and Ch Chennakesavulu – all in twenties and hailing from Maktal in south Telangana were shot dead, just over a week of the gruesome crime on 27-28 November night at Shamshabad on the Hyderabad-Bangalore highway. The suspects were arrested on 29 November and were produced before a court.
Like in the Dubey case, the four were in police custody when they were killed. In the pre-dawn hours of 6 December, the men were taken to the underpass where the body of Disha, as the vet was named by the Cyberabad police, was found in half burnt condition.
“As the accused admitted they hid the victim’s mobile and other belongings at the Chatanpally underpass, our police party brought them here this morning. They suddenly started attacking us with stones, sticks. Two of them – (Arif and Chennakeshavulu) - snatched two weapons and started firing at us. We warned them to surrender but the criminals did not heed, forcing us to open fire. They were found dead with bullet injuries. Two of our men suffered grievous injuries and are in hospital,” Cyberabad police commissioner VC Sajjanar said in explanation of the “encounter.”
A majority of the Telangana public who woke up to the dramatic news on TV erupted in joy and locals showered rose petals on cops at the encounter site for the “instant justice.” Nationwide too, the Cyberabad police action was celebrated with Sajjanar, a 1996 batch IPS from Hubballi, hailed as “Singham.” (Sajjanar was SP, Warangal when a similar encounter killing of three men accused of acid attack on two engineering girl students happened in 2008.)
Covid-19 impedes Supreme Court-commissioned probe
However, the Hyderabad encounter was challenged by civil liberties activists as “extra-judicial killings.” Based on such petitions, the Supreme Court had on 12 December appointed an inquiry commission headed by Justice VS Sirpurkar, a former SC judge.
The commission’s first sitting took place on 3 February and the next meeting was to be held on 23 March, which was deferred because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
“We have, anyhow, collected all the pertaining records, took statements of the accused’s families and the policemen involved,” an official, who is part of the commission told DH.
“Since the first sitting was on 3 February, we have the six-month time till 3 August. We are exploring the possibility of virtual conferences for the hearings. If not feasible, an extension would be sought,” the source said.
Facing censure, the K Chandrasekhar Rao government had formed a Special Investigation Team headed by Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat, prior to the SC’s commission.
When contacted Bhagwat said that their “probe is also going on simultaneously.”