Telangana HC directs re-postmortem of Naxal killed in encounter

The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the State government to conduct a re-post-mortem of Maoist P Linganna who was killed in an encounter with the police near Nandi hillock in the outskirts of Rollagadda village in Bhadadri-Kothagudem district on July 31.

"On Thursday, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea was moved in the High Court seeking that a case should be registered under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code and a fair probe should be carried out on Linganna's death in the encounter," Raghunath, Counsel Petitioner, told ANI over phone.

The plea seeks a direction to the government to conduct an autopsy again alleging that it was a 'fake encounter'. However, the government has submitted that it was a genuine encounter and the Naxal was carrying a lethal weapon with him.

Raghunath said a two-judge High Court bench comprising of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Dr Justice Shameem Akther has directed the Telangana government to shift the body from Bhadradri Kothagudem to Gandhi Hospital and re-conduct the post-mortem.

The doctors have been asked to submit the report in the High Court before August 5.

The plea is scheduled to be heard on August 5.