Andhra Pradesh sanders killing witnesses record statements before NHRC

NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), after recording the statements of two witnesses of the April 7 alleged encounter of 20 people by Andhra Pradesh Special Task Force in Chittoor, directed that a magisterial enquiry by a first class judicial magistrate be conducted in the killings.
The commission on Monday also directed the Andhra Pradesh government and state police chief to conduct post-mortem examination on bodies as per NHRC guidelines, provide names of all forest and police officials who were on duty and were part of the STF.It also said their weapons be placed in safe custody and that police register, log books, case diary entries and other documents related to the encounter should not be tampered with.
To make sure there was no threat to the witnesses’s lives, the Tamil Nadu DGP was asked to protect them and their families.
A high level team of Justice (retd) Suresh Hosbet, Satyabrata Pal (former member NHRC), E N Rammohan (ex-DGP of BSF) and others will visit Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the scene of the crime, villages of those killed and meet the survivors. The NHRC will take up hearing in the case on April 23 in Hyderabad and pass a detailed order.
A human rights group, People’s Watch, brought two witnesses to the NHRC office in Delhi on Monday and filed a complaint with the commission.
NHRC recorded their statements in which they gave a detailed account of what happened on April 6 and 7.
The human rights group’s representative Henri Tiphagne, who brought the witnesses to Delhi, said, “We believe that there are more witnesses in the villages in Tamil Nadu who are ready to come and give an account on what happened on that day.”
On the basis of what villagers told him in the region, Tiphagne said witnesses and panchayat presidents, who have helped in recounting the horror of STF, were receiving threats. “We have learnt that intelligence officers of Andhdra Pradesh Police are roaming in the area keeping an eye on villagers and some panchayat presidents have also received phone calls where the caller told them there is a reward of Rs 1 crore on their head. The witnesses and panchayat heads are scared, so we urged NHRC that protection be provided to them,” Tiphagne said.
Supreme Court advocate Vrinda Grover, who assisted People’s Watch, said, “Investigation for murder should be initiated against members of the STF and the investigation should probe the role of senior officers in planning, masterminding and directing these killings.”