The Telangana High Court on Monday observed that there is no need for a CBI probe into the murder of lawyer couple. The court took up hearing of a petition by slain lawyer Gattu Vaman Rao's father Gattu Kishan Rao, seeking a direction to the state government to transfer the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Hima Kohli observed that the court shares the petitioner's pain, but pointed out that it is directly monitoring the probe. It also felt that the investigations were heading in the right direction and if the case was entrusted to the CBI, this could lead to further delay.
The Advocate General submitted a report to the court on the status of the investigations. The court was informed that the police recovered the weapons used in the murder.
The court has so far examined 25 witnesses. It also recorded statements of three accused. The court was told that the CCTV footage and the video and pictures taken on mobile phones were sent for forensic analysis.
The court adjourned the hearing to April 7.
Expressing apprehensions that the police may not probe the murder of his son Vaman Rao and daughter-in-law Nagamani in a fair manner, Kishan Rao had filed a writ petition.
The lawyer couple was killed in broad daylight near Manthani on February 17. The case was registered with the Ramagiri police.
In his petition, Kishan Rao stated that Vaman Rao and Nagamani were eliminated by anti-social elements in collusion with the TRS leaders and police officials as the couple was questioning the illegal activities resorted to by Putta Madhukar, the zilla parishad chairman of Peddapalli, and his wife Shailaja, chairperson of Manthani municipality.
The petitioner alleged that Madhukar and his wife developed animosity towards Vaman Rao and Nagamani as their illegal activities were questioned by the advocate couple.
It was also pointed that Nagamani had filed an election petition challenging the election of Madhukar in a lower court in Karimnagar and brought to light the lock-up death of Sheelam Rangiah, who had information regarding the sand and mining mafia in Manthani.
Police have already arrested five accused in the case including a local TRS leader, who was later suspended by the party, and Madhukar's nephew.