A day after the police killed the four accused in the rape and murder case of Telegana veterinarian doctor in an encounter, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking registration of FIR, investigation and action against police personnel who were involved in the encounter. Advocates GS Mani and Pradeep Kumar Yadav approached the Supreme Court saying the top court’s 2014 guidelines were not followed.
with this another petition filed in Supreme Court seeking Supreme Court's appointed and monitored SIT into Telangana Encounter. Petition filed by advocate ML Sharma also sought action against Jaya Bachchan and Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal 'for supporting extra judicial killings'.
The 'encounter' killing of the four accused in the gangrape-and-murder of a Hyderabad veterinarian on Friday triggered a tsunami of reactions across the spectrum -- ranging from appreciation to condemnation. While main political parties --the BJP and the Congress--reacted cautiously in their official position and left their leaders to voice their views, civil groups were straightforward in their disapproval of the killings, asserting that the police cannot act like a lynch mob under any circumstances.
While Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury noted that a magisterial inquiry is already on and his party will wait for its outcome, his party colleague and lawyer Abhishek Singhvi virtually endorsed the police action, saying the mood of the country sometimes takes "precedence over human rights logic".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it is the anger in people against such incidents that is making them happy about the encounter killings.
The AAP leader, however, struck a note of caution, saying, "It is also something to be worried about, the way people have lost their faith in the criminal justice system. Together all the governments will have to take action on how to strengthen criminal justice system."
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said it can be said that justice has been done as when a criminal tries to escape, police are left with no other option.
Backing the police, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said they acted in self- defence.
While, the family of the woman veterinarian said they were very happy that all the four accused were killed in the 'retaliatory' firing and thanked the police and Telangana government for it, the families of accused were shell shocked on hearing the news of death of their wards with grieving father of one of the accused asking whether his son deserved such a treatment.
Mohammed Arif (26), Jollu Shiva (20), Jollu Naveen (20) and Chintakunta Chennakesavulu (20), all lorry workers, were arrested on November 29 for allegedly raping a 25-year-old veterinarian, killing her and finally burning her body, an incident that led to widespread outrage and brought back memories of the December 16, 2012 gangrape and murder of a physiotherapy intern in Delhi.
However, several rights activists said the police cannot act like a lynch mob under any circumstance, asserting the 'encounter' is an attempt by authorities to distract people from the government's failures to safeguard women's rights.
"Instead of being accountable to his job and answering our questions about his government's failures to safeguard women's rights, the Telangana CM and his police have acted as leaders of a lynch mob," said Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association.
Annie Raja, general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Woman (NFIW), called for a high-level inquiry.
"Why in spite of having all legislations in place in the country are governments failing to implement it. Definitely it was a distraction. It was an attempt to divert attention from the issue. A high level inquiry is needed in the matter," she said.
Lawyer and rights activist Vrinda Grover termed the incident "absolutely unacceptable".
Asking people to say "no to trigger track injustice", she said, "... so all that the state will do in the name of ensuring that women live as equal and free citizens is to add to its arsenal of unlimited, arbitrary violence."
(With inputs from agencies)
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