The Human Rights Forum (HRF) demands that those police personnel who fired at B Veerabrahmam and M Anil Kumar at Yendada on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam city on Saturday (Oct. 20, 2007) resulting in their death in an alleged exchange of fire be arrested and tried under IPC 302 relating to murder, apart from other relevant sections of the law.
The Commissioner of Police Mr N Sambasiva Rao has stated to the Press after the alleged encounter that the two deceased had snatched guns from the police and fired upon them resulting in injuries to two constables and it was only then that the other police fired at them in self-defense thereby killing the two. It is our contention that in all cases of encounter killing, a case of murder be registered, arrests effected and proper investigation undertaken, and the case be brought to the court which is the proper authority to decide upon the veracity or otherwise of the police version. It will not do for the police to simply put out an ‘encounter story’ and wash their hands off the matter. The police personnel responsible for gunning down the two deceased must be tried as per the law in the same manner as civilians would be in such a situation.
The HRF also takes strong exception to the manner in which Mr N Sambasiva Rao spoke to functionaries of several human rights, women and Dalit organisations at his office on Monday morning. We met him to elicit his view on the alleged encounter, but Mr Rao, without any provocation whatsoever, lost his temper and began to verbally abuse us. Though we were shocked at the outburst we maintained civility but he went on shouting at us. This happened in the full glare of media-persons. It is most unbecoming of a police officer to behave in this uncouth manner.
VS Krishna
HRF State secretary
23.10.2007
Visakhapatnam