Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Eturunagaram police to preserve the bodies of the seven Maoists who were killed in a gunfight in the Chalpaka forests of Mulugu district on Sunday.
The court also allowed the petitioner, wife of one of the deceased, to see her husband’s body and those of the others.
The court would decide on Tuesday the request of the relatives of the deceased Maoists that the postmortem be conducted as per the procedure prescribed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy heard by way of a lunch motion, a writ petition filed by Kalavalla Illamma, alias Meena, wife of Mallaiah, one of the deceased, to permit her to be part of the inquest of all the seven bodies. The bodies are to be preserved till Tuesday at the area hospital, Eturunagaram.
Suresh Kumar, counsel for the petitioner, informed the court that the Mulugu district police had ignored the petitioner’s request to see the bodie which was in violation of Section 196 of the BNS.
The police worked in haste and went about the postmortem, without ensuring that the team of doctors, who perform the PME, also includes forensic experts.
Counsel alleged that the police had poisoned the food consumed by the Maoists. After they consumed the food and unconscious, the police encircled the hideout, took the Maoists into custody, tortured and killed them.
Mahesh Raje, government counsel for home, informed the court that the postmortem examination was performed at the primary healthcare centre (PHC) in Eturunagaram, on Sunday with a team of doctors, which included forensic experts and the petitioner was permitted to see the body of her husband. Counsel for home informed the court that all the seven bodies were not shifted to MGM Hospital in Warangal as law and order issues could erupt. Justice Vijaysen Reddy posted the writ petition to Tuesday and directed counsel for home department to get written instructions furnishing details of the doctors, including the forensic science experts who had performed the PME.
