Though the High Court recently acquitted Pidatala Satyam Babu in the suspected rape and murder of Ayesha Meera, police have called for a reinvestigation to find out the real culprit.
Director General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao, responding to the High Court’s judgment in Nellore a few days ago, said the case should be reinvestigated as per the request of Ayesha’s mother Shamshad Begum. “There is a lot of scope for reinvestigation of the case and we are taking legal opinion in this regard,” Mr. Rao told the media.
The High Court bench commented that the real culprits had escaped and an innocent (Satyam Babu) was booked, and directed the government to take action against the investigation officers. But the police contend that the scientific investigation was enough to prove that Satyam Babu had committed the offence. The case remained a mystery even after 10 years, according to them.
“The decision to re-open or reinvestigation of the case should be taken by the State government. To go for an appeal in the case, the government should give its nod. The matter is pending with the government,” says a senior police officer.
A B. Pharmacy student of Tenali in Guntur district, Ayesha Meera, 19, was studying in the Nimrah College on the city outskirts. She was found murdered at Sri Durga Ladies Hostel at Ibrahimpatnam on the night of December 26 in 2007.
The suspected rape and murder created a sensation and students’ unions, women’s organisations and political parties came on to the roads condemning the brutal act. They staged protests demanding the booking of the culprits immediately.
TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, who was in the Opposition then, assured that he would order a thorough probe into the case and do justice to the family after coming to power.
The police, who questioned many suspects in the case, zeroed in on Satyam Babu, who was a petty offender. The Mahila Sessions Court found Satyam Babu guilty and awarded life imprisonment on September 29, 2010.
Officers reprimanded
However, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court acquitted Satyam Babu of the charges on March 31, 2017.
The bench reprimanded the investigation officers and directed the government to take disciplinary action against them for showing an innocent person as accused in the case.
The Vijayawada City Police, who went through the judgment copy, discussed the comments made by the High Court and the future course of action with the legal experts and senior police officers. There was speculation that the sensational case would be handed over to the Crime Investigation Department or Central Bureau of Investigation.
Satyam Babu, who underwent about nine years imprisonment for Ayesha Meera’s death, alleged that he was falsely implicated in the case and the real culprits were not booked so far.
