The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Girl’s murder case: 3 accused killed in “encounter” in A.P.

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Thursday, Dec 27, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Girl’s murder case: 3 accused killed in “encounter” in A.P.

Staff Reporter

WARANGAL: Three of the seven accused in the eleven-year-old girl Manisha’s kidnap and murder case were killed in an encounter with the police in the early hours of Wednesday at Thatikayala village in Dharmasagar mandal here.

The three accused — Thokala Raju, L. Ashok and B. Naresh — were taken to the scene of offence by the police to reconstruct the case.

As they reached the site — an agricultural well — on the outskirts of Thatikayala village, Thokala Raju snatched a 9 mm pistol from Circle Inspector K. Dakshinamurthy and began firing even as he tried to flee the spot. Sub-Inspector B. Ravinder and other policemen sprang into action and returned the fire, killing Raju. The other two associates who tried to escape were also killed in the firing.

Alertness pays

A shocked Mr. Dakshinamurthy told newsmen that had they not been alert, the accused would have killed them. “I am shocked at the courage of Raju who was determined to kill us and escape,” he said.

Raju was a history-sheeter, who was accused in several cases — including a double murder case — in different police stations in the Warangal town.

Ashok, another accused, was a butcher by occupation. He was known to beat up his brother and other members of his family often.

When the police caught him on Sunday evening, he was planning to murder his old rival. The police seized a sword from him.

Naresh, the third accused, worked as a ‘hamali’ and was involved in a road accident case.

It was Ashok who smothered the girl to death while Raju and Naresh strangulated her. Raju caught hold of the girl’s hands and legs till she died.

At the Thatikayala village, hundreds of people gathered at the site to have a look at the bodies of the three men.Interacting with the media, DSP (Rural) M. Vijay Kumar said that six other accused in the case would be produced in the court soon.

Mulug additional SP Naving Gulati and several other senior police officers reached the Thatikayala village later.

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