Vet case:HC adjourns pleas against 'encounter' killing

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The Telangana High Court on Friday adjourned till further orders pleas filed against the alleged encounter killing of the four men suspected of raping and killing a veterinarian near here last month.

On Thursday, the court had posted the matter for Friday to enable the State Government to get a clarification from the Supreme Court on the status of the bodies of the four men preserved in the state-run Gandhi Hospital here as per earlier orders of the High Court.

The top court has appointed a three-member inquiry commission headed by former apex court judge V S Sirpurkar to inquire into the circumstances leading to the encounter killing of the four accused.

The commission will submit its report to the Supreme Court in six months.

The apex court has clarified that the preservation of the bodies shall continue until further orders by it.

The Court on Friday recorded the apex court order and adjourned the matter until further orders.

The four men were arrested on November 29 for allegedly raping and killing the veterinarian by smothering her and later burning her body.

They were gunned down by police at Chattanpalli when they were taken to the scene of crime near the culvert, under which the charred remains of the 25-year-old woman were found on November 28, to recover her phone, wrist-watch and others pertaining to the case.

According to the Cyberabad police, its personnel resorted to "retaliatory" firing after two of the accused opened fire at police after snatching their weapons besides attacking the latter with stones and sticks, resulting in injuries to two policemen.

The PILs (public interest litigation petitions) alleged extra-judicial killing of the four accused and claimed it was a fake encounter among others.