CHARMINAR: Investigations into the controversial
Alair encounter
, where five undertrials were killed, has made little progress even after a year with even key suspects acquitted.
After the April 7 'encounter' by a police escort team in Nalgonda district, a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed with
Sandeep Shandilya
as head on April 13. The other SIT members included Khammam district SP Shanawaz Qasim, deputy SP (Intelligence) M Dayanand Reddy, Madhapur ACP M Ramana Kumar and inspectors L Raja Venkat Reddy and S Ravinder . Subsequently, Shandilya was moved out as Cyberabad police commissioner and since then the investigation has slowed down. The SIT had grilled 17 cops of the police escort team but is yet to submit its report.
The police have alleged that the under-trials made a bid to escape and also tried to snatch their weapons. The killings led to massive protests by human rights activists. Many political parties and several Muslim organisations have rejected SIT probe and instead sought a CBI or judicial inquiry by a sitting
High Court
judge.
Police are under a cloud of suspicion since the 2nd additional metropolitan sessions judge in September this year acquitted three associates of Viqar in a home guard murder case. Riyaz Khan, Mohammed Abdul Sayeed and Vinod Kumar Sahu were arrested by Octopus for killing home guard K Balaswamy and injuring constable
Rajendra Prasad at Nagulchinta X roads in Falaknuma.
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