The Supreme Court has admitted a petition challenging the encounter in the “Disha” rape and encounter case. The encounter took place only recently after the brutal crime of rape was committed in Hyderabad. A petition in the Supreme Court has been filed against it in the court and it has been allowed.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde is ready to hear a petition filed by noted lawyer GA Mani picking an independent investigation into the killing of the 4 accused. The chief justice remarked that the Telangana High Court has taken notice of the encounter but has not ordered a complete and thorough investigation. It has been alleged that the encounter was fake and a first information report (FIR) must be filed against the police personnel involved in the encounter. It is a clear violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution which allows for right to life and that fair trail shall be allowed. It is also violative of the principle that one is innocent until proven guilty.
In November 2019, a vicious crime of rape and murder of of a 26-year-old veterinary doctor in Shamshabad, near Hyderabad took place. The body was found on the morning of November 28, 2019 a day after she was burnt alive. Four suspects were arrested and, according to the Cyberabad Metropolitan Police, who have apparently confessed to having raped and killed the doctor.
The police arrested four men based on the evidence gathered from CCTV cameras and from the victim's mobile phone. The accused were taken into judicial custody at Cherlapally Central Jail for fourteen days. The Telangana Chief Minister ordered the formation of a fast-track court to try the accused for their alleged crimes. The rape and murder elicited outrage in several parts of the country. Protests and public demonstration against rape were organised nationwide after the incident, with the public demanding stricter laws against rape and rapists.
All four accused were killed in a police encounter on 6 December 2019, under a bridge on Bangalore-Hyderabad national highway, while they were in police custody. According to the police, the suspects were taken to the location for a reconstruction of the crime scene, where two of them allegedly snatched guns and attacked the police. In the ensuing shootout, all four suspects were shot dead. Some accused the police of extrajudicial execution, while thousands of people celebrated the men's deaths.
