T'gana minister clarifies on 'encounter' warning to rapists, calls it 'misinterpretation'

Telangana Minister Talasani Shrinivas Yadav has clarified that the controversial statement, wherein he had reportedly said that the encounter in Hyderabad where four men accused in rape and murder were killed was a lesson that anybody who commits such heinous crime can expect to be eliminated in the encounter, has been "misinterpreted." While speaking to news agency ANI, he said, "What I said at the beginning, what I said at last..they are cutting it and pasting it in the middle. That is not the proper interpretation. It is not correct." 

On Saturday, media reports had quoted the Minister as saying that the encounter was a lesson that anybody who commits such a heinous crime can be expected to be eliminated in a police encounter and that directions for "reconstruction of crime happened with instruction from above." The Minister while stressed that Telangana administration took immediate action and arrested the accused.

'They started pelting stones at the police'

Speaking about the encounter, the Minister said, "They (accused) were taken at the place for scene reconstruction. They kept misleading. They started pelting stones at the police. They tried to fire after snatching revolver from ASI. But the law is there for self-protection. They (Police) took action according to law." But he highlighted that a message has gone in the country in the aftermath of the entire episode.

Hyderabad Encounter

Earlier on Friday, the four accused were taken to the crime scene at around 4 to 5 am for a reconstruction of the crime, the police said. The accused and the police were present at the crime scene where the victim's charred remains were found around 60 km from Hyderabad. The police claim that one of the main accused signalled the others, thereby attempting to escape. This resulted in an encounter where the police gunned down all the accused in the case. According to police, the four accused snatched their weapons and tried to flee. All four accused were in police custody since Wednesday. After the encounter, the bodies of the accused were taken to a local hospital for postmortem.

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Opposing the encounter of the four Hyderabad rape accused, advocate GS Mani and Pradeep Kumar Yadav on Saturday have filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an FIR, investigation, and action against the police personnel involved in the incident. The petitioners have claimed that the encounters had violated the 16 requirements regarding police encounters. Another petition has been filed in the top court demanding an SC-appointed and monitored Special Investigation Team to probe the encounter.

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(With ANI inputs)