Mulugu Encounter: Telangana High Court asks police to preserve body of Mallaiah

The High Court on Tuesday directed the police department to further preserve the body of slain Maoist Mallaiah and ordered that the bodies of six other alleged Maoists be handed over to their families

By LEGAL CORRESPONDENT

Hyderabad: Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the police department to further preserve the body of slain Maoist Mallaiah. The Judge directed that the bodies of the six other alleged Maoists – Kursum Mangu Alia Badru (alias Papnna), Karunakar, Jamuna, Jaisingh, Kishore, and Kamesh – be handed over to their families.

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The judge continued to hear the writ plea filed by Kalvala Ilamma, wife of Mallaiah. Mahesh Raje, Government pleader for Home, informed the court that the postmortem was conducted on the seven bodies at the area hospital at Eturunagaram. He said the postmortem was conducted by a team of eight doctors comprising a forensic science expert and the postmortem report was awaited. Mahesh further stated that the petitioner was allowed to see the body of her husband Mallaiah. The Judge then enquired, what more remains in the matter. In response, the petitioner counsel D. Suresh would state that the petitioner was allowed to see the body of her husband for less than 10 minutes and she identified eleven injuries on the body. The counsel emphasized the need for inquest of Mallaih’s body in the presence of a Judicial Magistrate. Suresh reiterated that the death of seven Naxals was in a fake encounter and demanded that National Human Rights Commission’s guidelines have to be followed in conducting the inquest.

On being informed by the G P that the expert doctors were present, and the postmortem was videographed apart from taking photographs of the bodies, the Judge questioned what more would remain in the case. He suggested the matter should reach a logical end. However, the petitioner counsel argued that police officials cannot deviate from the procedure established by law especially in the cases like encounters. Justice Vijay Sen then directed the body of the petitioner’s husband Mallaiah be further preserved till the next date of hearing on December 5. The Judge also directed G.P to furnish a note on the postmortem examination and the procedure followed while conducting inquest. Accordingly, the matter was adjourned to further hearing on December 5.