The decade-old Ayesha Meera murder case is likely to be handed over to the CBI for “re-investigation”. The State police took this decision in the wake of the High Court order discharging the accused and Ayesha Meera’s mother Samshad Begum’s demand for re-investigation.
Addressing a press conference after launching the CP Dashboard at the Operational Command Control here on Saturday, N. Sambasiva Rao, DGP, said the police did not want to land into unnecessary controversy. As they intended to approach the issue with an open mind, they were ready to hand the case over to any agency willing to take it up.
Alternative
Other than the Vijayawada police, the other agencies in the State mean the Crime Investigation Department (CID), known as AP police. So, the alternative is the CBI. “We are definitely looking for an opportunity to hand over the case to the CBI,” he said. “We want the parents [Ayesha Meera’s] to be happy. We really feel sorry that the girl is not there. Basically to satisfy everyone, we have decided to go for reinvestigation.”
Mr. Rao said investigation meant revealing the truth. Based on it, the accused would be arrested. If accused could not be identified, it would be announced so. Investigation meant nothing but eliciting the truth and marshalling the evidence before the court. If not this accused (P.Satyam Babu), the perpetrator would be punished, he said.
To a question, the DGP said the apex committee did meet to discuss the Ayesh Meera case. Andhra Pradesh was one of the first few States to form the committee which was meeting regularly to discuss case by case.
The government constituted the committee on February 14 this year following the directions of the Supreme Court to the Home Departments of all States to formulate a procedure for identification of erring investigating and prosecuting officials on account of sheer negligence or because of culpable lapses and take departmental action in accordance with the law. The committee is headed by Principal Secretary (Home), while the Law Secretary, DGP, Director of Prosecutions and Additional Secretary or Special Secretary to Home Department are members.
Referred to apex panel
The Ayesha Meera case was referred to the apex committee for identifying and nailing the officers responsible for framing Satyam Babu, who had to spend eight years behind bars. The High Court acquitted him in March besides directing that the investigating officers be punished for framing him in the case.
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