The Hindu : Fugitive killed in exchange of fire

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 18, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Fugitive killed in exchange of fire

By Our Staff Reporter

THETTU (PRAKASAM DT.), FEB. 17. A dossier criminal and fugitive, Shaik Abdul Ravoof alias Yerra Ravoof who allegedly escaped from police custody snatching a Sub-Inspector's service revolver yesterday was killed in exchange of fire between Thettu and Gudlur, 1 km from Potlur, early this morning.

Giving details of the incident, the Superintendent of Police, Charu Sinha, said Ravoof, a hired assassin and wanted in six murder cases, dacoities and a couple of cases booked under Arms Act in various police stations, fled from police while being shifted to Darisi sub-jail for judicial remand yesterday evening. He was arrested yesterday morning at Puttavaripalem in Santhamagulur mandal in connection with a double murder that occurred in Kaluvakur in Addanki mandal some time ago. On being produced before the Magistrate in Addanki he was directed to be shifted to the sub-jail.

On reaching Mundlamur on way to Darisi he asked the escort party led by Ballikuruva SI, D. Mallikarjun Rao, to let him loose for the call of nature. As soon as he was allowed he snatched the pistol from the SI and took to heels threatening the escort party. Soon, two special parties led by Podili CI, M. Rajinikanth Reddy, and the Addanki CI, K. Varaprasad, launched search for the fugitive.

When he was sighted near here around 4 a.m today the police asked him to surrender. The warning went unheeded and he started firing at the police. When they retaliated he was killed. The CI, Rajinikanth Reddy who received a bullet injury in the lower abdomen was admitted to a hospital in Kandukur where he was convalescing, the SP said. Ms. Sinha said the 30-year-old criminal was accused in murder cases of one Chandrasekhar Reddy of Markapur in 1993, Disco Sreenu of Kandukur in 1997, Sathi Babu of Amalapur in 2002 and Krishna Mohan of Jeedimetla in 2003 apart from the sensational Kaluvakur double murder.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Forum said that Ravoof's was not an encounter killing, but a clear-cut police killing. In a statement, the HRF district convener, N. Venugopal, said it was understood that Ravoof was going to be killed by the police when they concocted a story stating that he ran away from their custody with service pistol.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh