Explain killings, NHRC tells Andhra Pradesh

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Tuesday it had asked the Andhra Pradesh government to explain how 20 people were killed in a forest by police.The NHRC said it has issued notice to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Andhra Pradesh, asking them to explain the killings within two weeks."The matter shall be taken up for hearing at Hyderabad on April 23," the NHRC said.The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday after more than 100 wood cutters, armed with sickles and axes, threw stones at the police. In retaliation, the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) reportedly opened fire killing some of the smugglers.The District Forest officer of Tirupati told The News Minute that around 20 people were killed.The shooting occurred in two places within a radius of one km in Chandragiri mandal of Chittoor and saw nine people die near Srivari Mettu and 11 die at Srinivasa Mangapuram. Ten policemen were also reportedly injured.Deputy Inspector General of Police Kanta Rao justified the act to reporters claiming it was self defence.Read - Did alienation of land and neglect of tribals culminate in 'smugglers' shootout?With IANS