[Hyderabad Encounter Killings] Supreme Court refers matter to Telangana High Court; orders report to be made public

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The Supreme Court on Friday referred the matter pertaining to the encounter killings in Hyderabad rape-murder case to the Telangana High Court.

Rejecting the contention of the State Government to keep the report under a sealed cover, a bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justice Hima Kohli also ordered the court-appointed Judicial Inquiry Commission report to be made public

CJI Ramana said, “The report has been submitted. There is nothing in this report, we can’t monitor this case. We’ll send back the matter to the High Court.”

The bench was hearing a PIL pertaining to the encounter killings of the accused in the Disha rape and murder case. The report of the Commission has concluded that the accused were deliberately fired upon with an intent to cause their death and with the knowledge that the firing would invariably result in the death of the deceased suspect.

In the encounter killings, during the investigation of the Disha Rape & Murder case, the Commission has opined that all the 10 police officers are to be tried for the offenses under Section 302 (Murder), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offense) of the Indian Penal Code.

The report states that a trial against the 10 police officers is suggested as the discussion shows that the different acts committed by each of them were done in furtherance of the 'common intention to kill the deceased suspects'.

The report further states, “Serious allegations were made by the parents of the deceased that their children were arrested illegally. It was also contended by the parents of the deceased that their children are juveniles. During the course of the inquiry, it also came to light that the constitutional and statutory rights of the deceased suspects at the time of their arrest and remand to judicial and police custody appear to have been violated.”

Case Title: GS Mani Vs. Union of India