The Hindu : Judicial probe sought into Venu's death

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 19, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Judicial probe sought into Venu's death

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 18. Family members of Venu, who was killed in an `encounter' with the police last night, on Thursday urged the Government to order a judicial probe into his death suspecting `foul play' by the police.

Venu's father, Sheshaiah, and younger brother, Chandra, speaking to reporters here, refuted the police version saying that Venu had gone to Neredmet police station to give attendance on Wednesday evening as he was bound over by the authorities in the backdrop of elections. "Two hours later, we came to know that Venu was taken to Malkajgiri Assistant Commissioner of Police's office and both of us went there," they said.

They saw some plainclothesmen hurriedly getting into Venu's car. "Some policemen sat in a jeep parked behind it and followed the car," they said. Sheshaiah and Chandra maintained that they tried to follow the two vehicles, but lost their way after some time. "A few minutes later we were told that Venu's body was lying in his car. But, the police prevented us from going near the body," they alleged. The ACP, V. Satyanarayana, however, brushed aside the allegations. "In fact, Venu did not come to the police station. I was busy with L.K. Advani's visit and was not in the office," he said. The ACP maintained that Venu was killed in the encounter after being chased by the police.

Even as forensic doctors at Gandhi Hospital conducted post-mortem on Venu's body today, his relatives obtained a court order towards the evening seeking post-mortem for the second time.

However, they took away the body stating that they did not want a second post-mortem. The forensic doctors told them that a second autopsy could be conducted only on Saturday.

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Andhra Pradesh