Police must be tried for murder in Disha encounter case: Amicus Curiae

The two judge bench of the Telangana High Court on Friday heard the Amicus Curiae, Senior Counsel Prakash Reddy in the Disha encounter case

Hyderabad: The two judge bench of the Telangana High Court comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji on Friday heard the Amicus Curiae, Senior Counsel Prakash Reddy in the Disha encounter case wherein four accused Mohammed Arif, Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu, Jolu Shiva, and Jollu Naveen were killed in an encounter. In a batch of seven public interest litigations filed by social activists challenging the encounter as extra judicial killing, the Amicus Curiae supported the report submitted by the Sirpurkar Committee and said that the police officers involved in the case has to booked for charges of murder and trial has to be conducted against them.

The amicus, pointed out that as per the Commission’s report police suppressed the juvenility of two accused deliberately and violated the mandatory investigation procedure with regard to the Juvenile. As per MEO’s statement, one SI from Shamshabad PS has photographed the admission particulars of J.Shiva and Chenna Keshavulu from his phone which revealed both were minors on the date of crime, he said. The police relied upon their Aadhar Cards which is not valid document as proof of age, the amicus added. The court turned down the implead petition of TS Police Officers Association, which wanted to assist the court. The victim’s father also sought to implead, but the bench wondered what was their interest and role in the encounter after all the accused were killed by police. Vrinda Grovar, from Supreme Court advocate appeared for the petitioner “Womens Rights and Peoples Organisation. The bench adjourned the case to March 29 for further hearing.