NHRC rules 16 Andhra Pradesh encounters fake

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has declared that 16 out of the 19 police 'encounters' that took place in Guntur and Kurnool districts when senior IPS officer P.S.R. Anjaneyulu was superintendent of police, were fake.

It ordered compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families who lost their kin in these encounters. A total of 19 people had been killed in the 16 encounters.

Anjaneyulu is currently inspector-general of Greyhounds. The encounters took place between 2000 and 2002. Out of the 16 encounters, 10 relate to Kurnool district and six to Guntur district.

The Human Rights Forum of Guntur district had filed a case against Anjaneyulu with the NHRC through advocate B. Chandrasekhar in July 2002.

Chandrasekhar told this newspaper that this was the first time that the NHRC awarded compensation to the kin of so many families of encounter victims. “This is a national record,” he said.

‘Pay compensation from cops’ salaries’

Advocate B. Chandrasekhar demanded that compensation for the families of the ‘fake’ encounter victims be paid from the salaries of senior IPS officer P.S.R. Anjaneyulu and his team at the time, and that the money should not come from the taxpayers.

The NHRC has taken no action against the police officers. Chandrasekhar said that the NHRC should have recommended that the government initiate action against them.

Anjaneyulu refused to comment on the order. Veeraiah, the father of one of the victims, D. Sudhakar, demanded that criminal action be taken against Mr Anjaneyulu and his team.

Janbi Rao, wife of M. Venkateswarulu, another of the victims, said that she had been fighting for a decade to get the killing of her husband recognised as a fake encounter.