Date:17/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/17/stories/2004051705240400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Rights forum for `fair' probe into encounter killings

By Our Staff Reporter

ONGOLE, MAY 16. The Human Rights Forum has asked the Government to make a free and fair inquiry into all encounter and custodial deaths occurred during the nine-year rule of the Telugu Deam Party and punish the police officers responsible for fake encounters.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, the HRF leader, K. Balagopal, pointed out that in none of the encounter cases inquiry was conducted by an impartial and independent investigation authority.

The National Human Rights Commission submitted a detailed report on the encounter and custodial deaths in 1996 and the inquiry should be conducted in the light of it, he said and asked the new Government, led by Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, to stop fake encounter killings.

Giving details regarding the encounter killings in Prakasam district in the last nine years, he said during the period as many as 24 persons were killed in the name of encounters. Of them, 14 were killed in the name of naxalites and the rest were rowdy-sheeters and thieves. Five were bumped off when they were in judicial remand. The TDP regime had set a bad example of eliminating people in judicial remand, he alleged.

Also, five lock-up deaths had occurred and two women were subjected to `sexual assault' when they were in police custody, he pointed out.

Mr. Balagopal said on the issues the HRF had collected and published facts from time to time. It had also urged TDP rulers to do justice to the aggrieved, he said. But, they turned a deaf ear to their representation.

Instead of doing justice the police had arrested the HRF district convener, N. Venugopal, and attacked and ransacked his house on April 20 to terrorise human rights activists, he alleged.

He said the new Government should order an impartial and independent inquiry within the framework of the specified law and punish the guilty.

He said the HRF, earlier, brought to the notice of the NHRC the police attacks on Venugopal and also the forum Warangal district convener, B. Ramulu's houses. It would now send reminders to the commission for early action. A leading advocate, Thota Sreedhar, observed that over a period of time with the illegal acts of the Governments the criminal justice dispensation got diluted. Using third degree measures to extract facts from criminals was highly condemnable, he said.

The HRF district convener, Venugopal, members, K. Bangarukonda, and a senior advocate, Rajgopal, were present.