By TwoCircles.net, Staff Correspondent
Hyderabad : In a significant move, the Human Rights Division of the Union Home Ministry issued notice to the Chief Secretary of Telangana and the National Human Rights Commission on the Aler encounter killings .The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have asked for the requisite factual report into the killing of five under trials in an encounter, who were accused in terror cases, to be furnished to the Ministry to facilitate action in the matter.
The move came after National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO) wrote a letter and submitted the fact finding report which the organization had conducted on its own level into the Killings to the Prime Minister.
In the month of April this year, five under trials, accused in terror cases, namely Mohammed Vikaruddin, Amjed Ali, Mohammed Haneef, Riyaz Khan and Izhar Khan were shot dead while they were being shifted from Warangal prison to Hyderabad Criminal court for a trial. Police claimed to have opened fire when the accused tried to snatch a weapon from a policeman in the running vehicle between Aler and Jangaon, about 80 km from Hyderabad in an area bordering Warangal and Nalgonda districts. However, their families, lawyers and civil rights activists find the police version questionable and have termed it as a ‘revenge’ and ‘retaliation’ against the death of cops in another encounter few days back.
The NCHRO while showing its concern on fake encounters had organized a fact-finding team consisting of activists from different states lead by Prof A. Marx, the Chair Person of NCHRO and had conducted a fact finding inquiry in the month of April which accused Police of Killing the Under trials in cold blooded murder to revenge the killings of police personnel killed in another encounter few days back in Telangana.
The face finding team had observed that, “We strongly believe that it was a cold-blooded murder to avenge the killings of police personnel. It was contemplated at a higher level to boost the sagging morale of the Telangana police. Not only those executed this at a lower level are responsible for these murders but those who contemplated this which include not only the higher police officials but also those in political power,” reads the report
The fact finding report was sent on Arpil 30th this year to state and central government officials including the Prime Minister of India for the appropriate action. After receiving the petition of NCHRO, the Prime Minister’s office (PMO ID No. PMOPG/D/2015/88281 dated 09/05/2015) had forwarded it to the Human Rights Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs. On the receipt of the petition, N.R. Singh, the Under Secretary (HR) has sent notice (No. 15011/100/2015-HR.III) to the Chief Secretary of Telangana and the Joint Secretary (P&A) of the National Human Rights Commission in the last week on July.
Meanwhile the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO) castigated the Judiciary for not protecting the under trials as those killed were in the Judicial Custody and demanded a compensation of Rs 30 Lakhs to the family members of those killed
“All these five persons killed in this fake encounter were in the judicial custody. Killing people in judicial custody is an increasing phenomena in this country. Judiciary is responsible for the life and security of the people in its custody. It is deplorable that judiciary is not concerned about this. In this encounter in the Aler police station limit the judiciary and the Telangana state government should take the full responsibility for these cold blooded murders of the five under trials. We demand a compensation of Rs 30 lakhs to the family members of those killed,” Said Mohamed Abid, State Coordinator, NCHRO.
Further, requesting the Chief Secretary of Telangana State and the Joint Secretary (P&A) of the National Human Rights Commission, Abid said.