SC to hear PIL over setting up SIT into Hyderabad encounter case tomorrow

The Supreme Court will consider on Wednesday whether to hear a PIL seeking an SIT probe into the killing of four men, who were arrested on charges of gang rape and murder of a veterinarian in Telangana, an alleged encounter by the police.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took note of the submissions of lawyer G S Mani on Monday that the plea seeking independent investigation against the police officials concerned be listed for urgent hearing.

Another advocate M L Sharma has also filed a similar petition saying the SIT probe should be monitored by former apex court judges.

The PIL, filed by Mani and lawyer Pradeep Kumar Yadav, claimed that the alleged encounter was "fake" and FIR should be lodged against police officials who were involved in the incident.

Telangana police said on Friday that the accused were killed in an exchange of fire with police.

The incident took place around 6.30 am when the accused were taken to the site of offence for the reconstruction of the scene of crime as part of the investigation.

The four accused were shot dead on NH-44 near Hyderabad -- the same highway where the charred body of 26-year-old veterinarian found.

Mani and Yadav, in their PIL, said that no one would support the accused who are involved in gang rape and murder cases against innocent women.

"However, an investigating agency and officers even at high level like Commissioner of Police taking the law into their hand, conducting fake encounter and killing alleged rape accused .... without bringing them before the court for punishment is very unfortunate," the plea said.

"No one including the investigating agency like police has right to punish any accused without due process of law. The court alone after applying all the procedure and law and affording an opportunity all the right of free and fair trial and hearing can impose punishment of imprisonment or death sentence," Mani and Yadav said in their PIL.