Telangana high court to hear petition against encounter of 4 accused in rape-murder of veterinarian

The Telangana High Court will on Monday hear the case of
encounter deaths of the four men accused of raping and killing a 26 year old
veterinary doctor last month.

The court had on Friday directed the state government to
preserve the bodies of four accused till 8pm on December 9.

The court had issued the directive treating as a petition a
representation received in the Office of the Chief Justice claiming that the encounter
was extra-judicial killings and requesting judicial intervention.

All the four accused were gunned down by police on Friday
morning at Chattanpalli when they were taken to the scene of crime near the
culvert beneath of it where the burnt  remains of the veterinarian were found on
November 28.

The police recovered her phone, wrist watch and other things
from the spot.

The Cyberabad Police had said its personnel utilized 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 National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had taken suo
motu cognisance of the encounter and ordered probe. A seven-member committee
was deputed by the NHRC

The NHRC team, including a forensic medicine expert, had
examined the bodies at a mortuary at a state-run hospital in Mahabubnagar
district.

It also visited the nearby encounter site and recorded
statements of the family members of the four men killed in the encounter.

The four were arrested on November 29 for allegedly raping
and killing the 26-year-old woman by straggling her to death and later burning
the body.