In a significant move, parents of Ayesha Meera met Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati on Friday, and demanded a fresh probe into their daughter's death.
Asking the CM for 'justice', they also wanted the real culprits be caught and punished.
This comes just a week after the Hyderabad High Court order acquitted Satyam Babu for Ayesha Meera's murder, stating that he spent eight years in jail without any evidence of his involvement.
Speaking to the media later, Ayesha's mother, Shamshad Begum said, "We are very delighted and satisfied with the chief minister's response. He told us that we fought well and that he will get justice for our family. The CM also said he will meet the top police officials in the coming days and discuss the case with them. I am confident and hopeful that he will pay heed to our demand to reopen the case and get justice for my daughter."
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.
According to reports, the Chief Minister is now waiting for Director General of Police N Sambasiva Rao to return from a trip on April 10.
“We have sought legal opinion on the HC verdict and its recommendation that the officers who handled the investigation be identified by the apex committee for taking departmental action against them. The state is all for justice to Ayesha’s parents and we are contemplating how to go about it,” Deputy CM N China Rajappa was quoted as saying.
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