Nagari MLA and actor Roja slammed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday for not visiting the family of the 26-year-old vet after she was brutally gangraped and killed, but instead travelling to Hyderabad to probe the encounter of the four accused.
Speaking in the Assembly, actor Roja said, “When children as young as five, seven and nine are raped, they (NHRC) don’t see them as humans nor acknowledge their rights. During the Disha incident, the NHRC did not visit the family of Disha to instill confidence. But after the accused were killed in an encounter, they are crying foul over human rights violations. Do only accused have human rights?”
Roja is not the only one raising alarms. Disha’s family and the colony residents in Shamshabad have also reportedly taken objection to the NHRC’s probe in the encounter. A seven-member team of NHRC has taken suo-moto action on the Telangana encounter, in which the four accused — Mohammed Areef, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen and Chennakeshavulu — were shot dead on Friday during an alleged exchange of fire.
Neighbours reportedly held placards and shouted as police attempted to escort Disha's parents to take their statements for the NHRC. "Where was the NHRC when the girl was brutally raped and murdered? Not even a word from them on the incident, but when her killers were killed, a team came all the way from Delhi!" one woman reportedly said.
26-year-old Disha (name changed), a veterinarian, was raped and killed on November 27, and her burnt body was found at Chatanpally in Shadnagar. The incident sparked widespread outrage as many in the public demanded immediate action against the accused.
While the investigation was ongoing and a special court was designated in Mahabubnagar to hear the case, the police gunned down all the four accused on Friday close to the spot where Disha was found dead. Police claimed that two of the accused had snatched pistols away from the escorting officers, and all four had attempted to flee.
Police noted that the accused were taken to the crime scene for evidence collection, and the encounter took place between 5.45 am and 6.15 am. Officials said that the accused opened fire, and threw stones. The encounter was led by Cyberabad commissioner VC Sajjanar, who had previously led a similar encounter in Warangal in 2008.
Meanwhile, the Telangana government has formed its own Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising seven police officials, headed by Rachakonda commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat.