HYDERABAD: VC Sajjanar, TSRTC managing director and former commissioner of Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, deposed before the three-member judicial commission on Tuesday that he didn't give permission to Shadnagar ACP V Surender to keep the four accused in a safe place at Ravi Guest House in Mirjaguda during their police custody.
"My office received information from DCP Shamshabad about the utilisation of a safe house," he said.
He said that his office was only informed, and that he didn't grant permission when pointed to a document which mentioned, "Commissioner of Police gave permission to keep the accused in a safe place at Mirjaguda Ravi Guest House."
Sajjanar said that he was not aware when the accused were shifted from prison to the safehouse during police custody and added that DCP Shamshabad had only informed him about this.
"I was not aware that the accused were interrogated at the safehouse and about the second confession of all the accused. I was also not aware that the accused were taken out for crime scene reconstruction and recovery of articles belonging to the victim," emphasised Sajjanar.
Sajjanar told the commission that at 6:20 am on December 6, 2019, DCP Shamshabad informed him that the accused were taken for recovery of articles and during the process, there was an exchange of fire.
When asked if he had instructed anyone against informing the judicial magistrate about the firing incident and against disturbing the bodies of the accused till the judicial magistrate completes the inquest, he said that DCP Shamshabad had informed him that the magistrate was informed.
When asked to show the guidelines, he said, as per the advice from the legal advisors of Cyberabad Commissionerate, the inquest had to be conducted by the Executive Magistrate in custodial death cases, so
they went ahead with it.
Further in response to the questions, Sajjanar said that it is not the first encounter in Telangana and though he was not aware of the exact number, in all cases, the inquest was conducted by an Executive Magistrate.