The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘Encounter’ evokes mixed response

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Sunday, Dec 14, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Encounter’ evokes mixed response

Special Correspondent

Minister for Major Irrigation justifies killing; Roja dubs it ‘stage-managed’

Photo: Mohd.Yousuf

Women ire: Telugu Mahila president Roja addressing media after calling on parents of K. Swapnika, in Hyderabad on Saturday. -

HYDERABAD: The encounter killing of Shakamuri Srinivas Rao and two others in Warangal evoked mixed response from political parties and people’s organisations.

Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah backed the police and justified the encounter. The encounter took place in tune with the people’s wishes, he said and added that lack of stringent laws to deal with heinous crime like acid attack was making some bold enough to resort to criminal activity.

E. Dayakar Rao, MP, and Telugu Mahila president R. K. Roja alleged that the encounter was ‘stage-managed’ by the government to divert public attention from its initial failure in taking action against the culprits when the girl had lodged a complaint in October.

State CPI secretary K. Narayana and CPI (M) secretary B.V. Raghavulu expressed concern over the encounter killing and faulted police for taking law into their hands. They felt that action against the accused could have been ensured by making the existing legislation more stringent.

State BJP president B. Dattatreya charged police with failing to act on the girl’s complaint and again after the accused were taken into custody. Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi said people’s happiness over the encounter killing was indicative of failure of systems of law enforcement .

The Lok Satta demanded that law be amended to facilitate capital punishment to perpetrators of crimes against women, specially rape and acid attacks. Civil rights activist K. Balagopal termed the encounter ‘fake’ and demanded a case of murder be registered against police. Balladeer Gaddar wanted the encounter killing to be probed by a sitting High Court judge.

Jetti A. Oliver, chairman, AP Council of Churches, said it was saddened at the act of violence and counter-violence.

Mazher Hussain of the Confederation of Voluntary Agencies, Noorjahan Siddiqui from Kasturba Gandhi Peace Centre, Chandrasekhar of the Critical Analysis Forum and Kodandram, Telangana Vidyavanthula Vedika demanded a judicial inquiry into the attack and the encounter deaths of the accused to determine the role and responsibility of the police in the sequence of events.

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