All 4 accused were taken to the spot for reconstruction of their crime, shot in encounter

In the early hours of Friday, the nation woke up to the news that the four men accused of brutally gangraping and immolating a 26-year-old veterinarian were shot dead in an alleged exchange of fire with the police between 5.45 am and 6.15 am. The four were taken by a 10-member police team to the scene of their crime at Chatanpally, 50 km near Hyderabad, for the reconstruction of events as part of the investigation into the rape-murder.

More than eight hours after the four rape-murder accused were killed in the encounter, the police allowed the media into the area that had been cordoned off until then.

The four bodies lay close to each other,  barely 5 metres apart. Areef, who, according to the police, smothered and killed the vet after she was raped, could be seen holding a gun in his right hand. In a yellow T-shirt and jeans, his body lay on the ground face-up, no wounds visible on the body, but blood underneath him suggested that he was shot in the back. Perpendicular to him was the body of Jollu Shiva, who was wearing a white shirt. It was evident from his body, face up, that he received the gunshot in the chest. A few metres away was the body of Jollu Naveen in an orange shirt.

Speaking about the alleged encounter, Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said that an investigation was required to reconstruct the crime scene in the November 27 rape-murder case, hence the four accused were taken to the Chatanpally culvert where the vet’s charred body was found late a day later.

“When the cops were questioning them about the location of the missing cell phone, the four accused tried to attack the police with sticks and stones. Areef snatched a revolver from the police. The cops present at the site told the four to surrender. However, they did not heed the warnings. This resulted in crossfire. They continued to attack cops and were eventually shot dead,” Sajjanar said.

The accused were shot dead barely 500 metres from the Chatanpally underpass, where they had set the veterinarian body’s on fire last week.

According to sources, the accused were taken from Cherlapally jail around midnight to the scene of the offence, which is about 70 km away, as there was a threat posed to them by the public. The encounter took place in an agricultural field owned by one S Satyam.

“They were not handcuffed. They ganged up and assaulted us with the sticks found here. Two of them snatched weapons and fired at us. A sub-inspector and a constable suffered injuries in the crossfire, the two have been admitted to hospital. One of the accused attacked S-I Venkateswarlu with a stone, he was hit on the right side of his forehead and constable Arvind Goud was hit on his right shoulder with a stick. He suffered soft tissue injury. Condition of both policemen is stable. Two revolvers were recovered from Areef and Chenakeshavulu,” revealed Sajjanar. Doctors from Mahbubnagar hospital conducted postmortem at the spot.

Replying to a question about the criticism from NHRC and others regarding the encounter, he said, “The law has done its duty.”

Preserve bodies of 4 accused till Dec 9, orders HC

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday directed the State Government to preserve the bodies of four acccused in the rape and murder of a young veterinarian till 8pm on December 9.

The High Court gave the order on a representation received in the office of the Chief Justice, requesting judicial intervention

Crime & punishment!

November 27: Around 9.30 pm, the 25-year old woman employed at a state-run hospital goes missing after she left for a clinic to Gachibowli around 5.50 pm from her home in Shamshabad area

November 28: At 3.10 am, vet’s sister files a missing complaint, saying some people had offered help to the victim whose two-wheeler had a punctured tyre

9 am: Woman’s charred body found under a culvert on NH 44.

November 29: Areef (26), Jollu Shiva (20), Jollu Naveen (20) and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu arrested. They confess to raping, killing and immolating the victim

November 30: 3 cops suspended for delay in registering an FIR

December 1: Telangana CM orders a fast track court

December 4: Court sends the four to 7-day police custody

Dec 6: All 4 taken to the spot for crime recreation, shot in encounter

Sequence of events

• All the four accused were brought to the crime scene early in the morning for the reconstruction of the sequence of events
• As soon as the police personnel reached the crime spot, the four accused got together and attacked the cops with sticks and stones, police said, adding they then snatched the weapons of cops
• One of the accused, Mohammed Arif, was the first to open fire at the police personnel, said the Cyberabad Police Commissioner
• The cops asked the accused to surrender, the Commissioner added
• When the accused did not pay heed to warning by the cops, the police personnel retaliated in self-defence
• The encounter lasted for 45 minutes from 5.45 am to 6.30am, according to the police
•  Two policemen sustained injuries in the encounter