Even as the Andhra police decides if it should challenge the HC order acquitting Satyam Babu for Ayesha Meera's murder, calls to reopen the entire case itself have been growing louder.
Directing the Andhra Pradesh government to pay Rs 1 lakh compensation to Satyam, the HC stated that he spent eight years in jail without any evidence of his involvement.
It also ordered disciplinary action against the police officers who investigated the case.
The murder took place in 2007, and Satyam Babu was convicted by a Vijayawada women's special sessions court in 2010, and sentenced to imprisonment for life.
However, even family members of the victim, along with several activists, had alleged that Satyam was framed to let a politician's family off the hook.
When the case first broke out, now Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was the state's Opposition leader, and had demanded that a fair enquiry be done into the incident.
Naidu was also among those who alleged that the Congress government was covering up the case to protect influential politicians.
Speaking to Phanindra Papasani from the Times of India, State Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said:
"We have been telling the cops that Satyam Babu was innocent and the investigation had several loopholes. This is a special case and the High Court has given its verdict. Now, it's our responsibility to bring the real culprits to the court of law...We stick to the assurance given to Ayesha Meera's mother Shamshad Begum when she had come to us after her daughter was murdered in 2007. We intend to order a fresh probe after talking to police top brass on the investigation done so far."
In fact, even Ayesha's parents have planned to approach Naidu on the issue.
"We will approach CM Chandrababu Naidu and submit an application to reopen the case. Our daughter did not end up dead just like that. Someone has killed her and he is still free. The investigators were trying to protect the killer, which is why they set up Satyam Babu," Ayesha's father, Syed Basha, had earlier told TNM.
Her mother, Shamshad, had also said, "When our daughter was murdered, Chandrababu Naidu had promised us that he would ensure that the investigation was done properly, and also promised a speedy trial once he became the CM. Now he is in that position and we hope he will listen to our plea for justice."
Ayesha’s parents had alleged that former Congress Minister Koneru Ranga Rao's grandson, Koneru Satish, frequently visited the hostel along with other relatives, including Koneru Suresh, Abburi Ganesh, Chinita Pawankumar and Rakesh.
They also alleged that the warden, Koneru Padma, allowed them to enter the girls' hostel as they were relatives.
The parents held these people squarely responsible for their daughter's death.
A decision is expected to be taken before the end of this week.
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