Disha case probe panel ridicules warning shots' theory of cops

Hyderabad: It is quite possible that the four accused in the Disha case shot themselves during the alleged open firing on the morning of December 6, 2019, said counsel for Cyberabad police before the commission probing the killing of the accused in the Disha case, which has been described as ‘encounter killings’ allegedly at the behest of the then Cyberabad commissioner V.C. Sajjanar.

The panel retorted that such fatal bullet wounds would only be caused by high-velocity weapons like SLRs and AK47s, and not 9mm pistols, the ones they allegedly snatched. Ballistics experts clarified that the wounds caused by bullets were bigger than could be caused by a 9mm pistol.

It became evident during arguments that police personnel fired 26 rounds in total, including 18 from AK47, four by Cyberabad SOT head constable Mohammed Sirajuddin and four by sub-inspector Kocherla Ravi. It was also ascertained that 10 AK 47 rounds were fired in the air as ‘warning shots’, while the remaining hit the four accused, Mohammed Arif, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen and Ch. Chennakesavulu.

The panel noted that the whole episode seemed more like a ‘take aim and shoot’ execution, unlike the version of officials, who deposed that it was a case of ‘firing at the sound of bullets’. The officials had told the panel that they were ordered to fire warning shots. They could not see the four accused as there was ‘soil in our eyes’.

However, the panel contended that in such a case, the wounds should have been on the legs or below the waist, whereas the bullets had pierced their torsos, suggesting that they did not wish to warn the accused. The commission wondered how no police person was injured when the accused ‘fired’ whereas bullets fired by police felled the four.

The panel asked the counsel to provide documents or data showing how dark it was that morning as the official recorded sunrise timing was 6:31 am. State advocate Uma Maheshwar will continue the arguments on Thursday.