Vet rape and murder case: Telangana HC orders re-postmortem of four accused

The Telangana High Court on Saturday (December 21) directed a re-postmortem of the bodies of the four accused in the gang-rape and murder of a female veterinarian near Hyderabad last month.

The four accused were killed in an alleged encounter on December 6. The bodies of the four accused are preserved in the state-run Gandhi Hospital here as per earlier orders of the High Court after a few PILs were filed alleging extra-judicial killing of the men and claiming it was a fake encounter among others.

The High Court directed the state government to request AIIMS Delhi to constitute a medical team with three expert forensic specialists to conduct a second postmortem of the bodies of the four men.

The bench further directed that the second autopsy should be conducted before December 23, and the report with their findings shall be submitted to the Registrar General of the High Court.

Also read: Telangana encounter deaths: SC orders inquiry headed by ex-judge VS Sirpurkar

After the postmortem, the bodies can be handed over to the kin of the four men. The doctors were further advised to express an independent view on the basis of the evidence collected by them.

The Bench also directed the Chief of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the State government to investigate the encounter killings and seize all material objects like the case diary, movement register of the police officials, inventory of the weapons used by the officials in the encounter, among others. The same shall be placed before the Commission constituted by the Supreme Court whenever requested.

The bench passed the orders after hearing a bunch of petitions seeking a direction from the court. The bench further directed that the state government shall make all arrangements for the air travel of the medical team from AIIMS, for their accommodation and other facilities which would enable them to efficiently discharge the duty assigned to them.

On Friday, the Advocate General of Telangana argued the bodies of the four were already subjected to postmortem as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court and hence there was no necessity for passing any order for a re-postmortem.

Also read: What Telangana cops call encounter, min asserts was a ‘lesson for rapists’

However, the amicus curiae D Prakash Reddy had contended that the bodies were preserved under the directions of the High Court to consider the necessity of second postmortem and the Supreme Court also endorsed it.

The Supreme Court last week appointed a three-member Inquiry Commission headed by former apex court judge V S Sirpurkar to inquire into the circumstances leading to the encounter killing of the four accused in the gang-rape and murder of the veterinarian.

The commission, which also included former Bombay High Court judge Rekha Sondur Baldota and ex-CBI director D R Karthikeyan, will submit its report to the Supreme Court in six months.

The four accused were arrested on November 29 for allegedly raping and killing the female veterinarian by smothering her and then burning her body.

On December 6, they were gunned down by police at Chattanpalli when they were taken to the scene of crime near the culvert, under which the charred remains of the 25-year-old veterinarian were found on November 28.

The police recovered her phone, wrist-watch and other accessories.