The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it would hand over the case of encounter killing of Maoist leader Azad and journalist Hemchandra Pandey to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the State, told a Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R. M. Lodha that a formal notification would be issued shortly and he would produce a copy in the court.
The Bench, hearing the writ petitions filed by Bineeta, wife of Pandey, and social activist Swami Agnivesh for a judicial probe into the July 2, 2010 killings in Adilabad district, appreciated Mr. Salve's efforts at persuading the State government to entrust the probe to the CBI. Mr. Salve told the Bench “I have told them [State] it is in everyone's interest that the probe should be entrusted to the CBI.”
When counsel Prashant Bhushan insisted that a team monitor the probe, Justice Alam these things could be heard at the next hearing on April 25.
The State had in its affidavit maintained that Azad and Pandey lost their lives in an exchange of fire between them and the security forces. The Centre opposed the plea for a CBI probe.
