After the four accused in the rape and murder of Hyderabad vet were killed in an encounter on Friday (December 6), the Cyberabad police commissioner VC Sajjanar, IPS briefed the media over the shootout.
Commissioner Sajjanar said that the four accused, Mohammed Arif (26) and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu (20), and lorry cleaners Jollu Shiva (20) and Jollu Naveen (20), had been in police custody for ten days and were interrogated by the police. After the accused confessed to the crime, they were taken to the site where Disha's body was dumped to reconstruct the scene.
The encounter took place between 5.45 am-6.15 am. "When we reached the spot the accused attacked us using stones and managed to snatch our guns. You can see that the accused are still lying there with the weapons. As a result, we had to engage in an encounter with them in which they were shot dead," he said.
Mohammed Arif was the first to open fire at the police and was also attacked with stones and sticks. He said that the snatched weapons were in an "unlocked" position.
According to the commissioner, there were around ten police personnel with the accused during the time of encounter. The police have also seized two weapons from the accused. "We have recovered the victim's cell phone from the spot," he added.
The commissioner also said that the accused were involved in many other crimes in Karnataka and an investigation is on over this. He told media that the encounter shows that the law has done its duty. The body of the accused has been shifted to a local government hospital for post-mortem.
Talking about the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) taking cognizance of the encounter, Sajjanar said, "We will answer to whoever takes cognizance, Telangana government, NHRC and to all concerned". The human rights body said the encounter is a matter of concern and needs to be probed carefully.
The NHRC has tasked the Director General (Investigation) to immediately send a team for an on-spot investigation into the shootout. The central government has also sought a report from the state government over custodial killing the 26-year-old veterinarian's alleged rapists.
