SC sets up inquiry commission into encounter of 4 accused in Telangana rape-murder case; panel to be led by retired judge VS Sirpurkar

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered an inquiry commission to be set up to probe the encounter of the four men, accused of raping and murdering a 26-year-old veterinarian on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The apex court said that the commission would be headed by former top court judge VS Sirpurkar and a deadline of six months has been set to complete the inquiry. The commission will also include a former Bombay High Court judge, and former CBI director DR Karthikeyan, reports Scroll.in. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde was hearing two public interest litigations seeking an independent probe into the deaths last week. The apex court also said there should be an “impartial inquiry” into the encounter killings of the four men accused in the gangrape and murder of a veterinarian in Telangana. The Telangana government justified the encounter, saying the accused snatched two firearms and shot at a police party. [caption id=“attachment_7201881” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “We are of the considered view that there should be an impartial inquiry into the encounter deaths of the four people accused in the gangrape and murder of a veterinarian in Telangana,” the bench, also comprising Justices SA Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, said. There are “aspects of your (Telangana) version which needed an inquiry”, it observed. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Telangana government, said no policemen received bullet injuries but got injured in the attack by the accused who were using stone and sticks. The Supreme Court on Wednesday had said it was considering to appoint a former apex court judge to enquire into the encounter killings of four accused persons in the sensational gangrape-and-murder case of a veterinarian in Telangana. “We are conscious of the fact that the Telangana High Court had taken note of it,” a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde said, adding that the top court only wanted that a Delhi-based former apex court judge should enquire into the case. “We propose to appoint a former Supreme Court judge to inquire into it,” the bench, also comprising justices S A Nazeer and Sanjeev Khanna, said. It clarified that the former apex court judge, who would enquire into the incident, would sit in Delhi. With inputs from PTI