Declining to intervene in the petitions relating to Shadnagar encounter, the Telangana High Court on Thursday suggested to the State government to approach the Supreme Court on further course of action over preservation of bodies of the four accused killed in the ‘encounter’.
On Monday, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan had directed the government to shift the four bodies from Mahbubnagar hospital to Gandhi Medical College morgue in Secunderabad here and preserve them till Friday. Four different PILs were filed in the HC on the Shadnagar encounter, seeking different reliefs.
When they came up for hearing at around 10.30 a.m., the bench posted them till 12.45 p.m. on learning that the Supreme Court was hearing pleas on the same matter. When the pleas were heard again, the bench declined to intervene in the matter as the SC was already seized of the matter and passed interim orders.
Advocate General B.S. Prasad raised the issue of preservation of the bodies before the bench, stating that the families of the four youths killed in the encounter were ready to receive the bodies. The CJ told the AG to make a mention about the preservation of bodies before the SC by Friday and secure clarification on the matter.
“Since the SC passed direction staying hearing by other courts, we cannot pass any orders, better you obtain clarification by Friday,” the CJ said. Supreme Court lawyer Vrinda Grover, who appeared for one of the petitioners, said that she would seek clarification on the matter on Friday. The AG added that the government counsel mentioned before the SC about the bodies but no specific direction was issued on that point.
Senior lawyer D. Prakash Reddy, who was appointed by the HC as amicus curiae in the Shadnagar encounter related petitions, said it was the duty of the government to secure clarity on the matter. Observing that it would post the petitions for hearing after six months after going through the SC order, the bench posted the matter again for hearing on Friday.
