Telangana govt constitutes SIT to probe police encounter

The Telangana government on Sunday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the police encounter against the four accused in the rape and murder of the 27-year old veterinarian.

The eight-member SIT team will be headed by Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat.

On the intervening night of November 27-28, the veterinarian was raped and murdered by four persons near the outer Ring Road at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

All the four accused in the rape and murder case were killed in a police encounter in the early hours on Friday when Hyderabad police had taken the four accused at the crime spot to recreate the scene during which they allegedly attempted to flee.

The government took into consideration the Supreme Court's judgement in the case of PUCL versus the state of Maharashtra and others to entrust the investigation into an independent probe agency or police team of another police station under the supervision of a senior police officer.

According to a government order the members of the SIT shall immediately take over the investigation under section 307, 394, 224, 332 r/w 34 IPC and section 174 r/w 176 CrPC and section 25 (1-B) (a), 27 of the Arms Act of Shadnagar PS under Cyberabad and all related cases registered in Telangana state as per guidelines of Supreme Court of India.

The terms of reference of SIT include: To recover and preserve the material evidence related to the death; To identify the witness and record the statements including the statements of police personnel involved in the death of four persons; The cause and circumstances leading to the death of four persons should be ascertained with reasons to establish truth.

The government order stated that all the government agencies including police in the state shall extend all possible assistance to the SIT keeping in view of the sensitivity of the case. After completion of the investigation, the SIT will file its report in the concerned court of law having jurisdiction.