HC hears arguments in Disha \'encounter\' case

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday continued its hearings of the batch of petitions filed by women’s rights and people’s organisations and others seeking a judicial probe into the alleged encounter at Chattanpalli, Shadnagar mandal, on December 6, 2019, in which police personnel gunned down four persons accused of the gangrape and murder of veterinarian Disha.

Parents of the accused filed petitions seeking registration of FIR on murder charges against the policemen involved in the alleged encounter.

Continuing the arguments, Vrinda Grover, Supreme Court senior counsel, representing the petitioners, apprised the court about the findings of Justice V.S. Sirpur commission, which had found many lacunae in the police investigation.

“The incident occurred on December 6, weapons were seized on 13th… what had transpired between December 6 and 13, no one has any clue. It was only on December 12, when the Supreme Court constituted the Disha commission, that a SIT investigation started,” she said.

Grover drew the attention of the court to the press conference convened by the police commissioner at a time when the inquest was not conducted and the FIR had not been dispatched to the magistrate.

‘The press conference was convened to influence the public about the “instant justice” of the police against so called “dreaded criminals” about which there is no evidence whatsoever. The senior police official went to the extent of saying that law has done its duty,” senior counsel said.

She argued that despite knowing the fact that the two of the four accused were juveniles, police continued to hold them in prison, which is a gross violation of juvenile rules.

As the state’s arguments are yet to commence, the court adjourned the case to January 23.