Hyderabad: Law has done its duty, said Cyberabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar Friday after police killed, in an alleged exchange of fire, all four accused in a woman veterinarian’s gang-rape and murder case.
Addressing a news conference near the scene of the “encounter” at Chatanpally on the outskirts of Shadnagar town, the officer said the police had to return fire after the accused snatched weapons from them and opened fire on them.
The “encounter” occurred around 6 a.m. when a 10-member police had taken the accused to recover mobile phone and other items of the victim which they had hide there after setting afire the victim’s body on the intervening night of November 27-28.
The police chief claimed that the accused, who were not handcuffed, attacked police with stones, sticks and other sharp objects. He said two of them even snatched weapons and opened fire. “As they did not surrender despite the warning, the police had to open retaliatory fire. Later, all four were found dead with bullet injuries,” he said.
The police official said two policemen were also injured in the attack by the accused. However, these are not bullet injuries.
“Law has done its duty. That’s all I can say,” he said when asked to comment on the criticism from some quarters that the police took law in its hand by killing the accused.
He also refused comment when asked about the killing of three accused arrested for an acid attack on two girl students in 2008 when he was the Superintendent of Police of Warangal district.
“We will give reports to all concerned,” Sajjanar said when asked about Union Home Ministry and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking reports Friday’s encounter.
Stating that the accused were hardcore criminals, he said the police suspect their involvement in similar crimes. “We are collecting data about the cases of missing women and charred bodies found in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka,” he said.
The Police Commissioner said the veterinarian was kidnapped and sexually assaulted near Tondupally toll plaza on Outer Ring Road on the outskirts of Hyderabad. They later took the body to Chatanpally near Shadnagar and burnt it.
“We started the investigation with no evidence but collected human intelligence and lot of scientific evidence and arrested the accused,” he said.
The accused were produced before executive magistrate on November 30 and they were remanded to judicial custody. All the accused were sent to Cherlapally Jail.
He revealed that a court December 2 sent the accused to 10-day police custody and that the police interrogated them December 4 and 5. “Basing on their confession that they hid the cell phone, watch and power bank of the victim near Chatanpally, they were brought here early Friday to recover the same.”
The police chief said they had lot of investigations during last four days including DNA profiling of the victim and the accused.
