Hyderabad rape case: CP Bhagwat grilled on ‘oversight’ of High Court order 

However, the receipts were not seized, as the IO had informed Mahesh Bhagwat that they were not seized due to oversight.
Representational Image. (File Photo)
Representational Image. (File Photo)

HYDERABAD: Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat, who also headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of four accused in the rape and murder case of a veterinarian in 2019, in an alleged encounter, deposed before the commission and submitted information regarding few queries which were posed to him during his last appearance. 

He said that J Surender Reddy, Additional DCP, Rachakonda, the Investigation Officer (IO) for the alleged encounter had issued notices seeking arms issuance registers of Amangal and Nandigama police stations of Cyberabad, but the SHOs had given oral replies stating that arms registers are not maintained at police stations, except for the 9mm pistols issued to the SHOs and all other weapons are deposited with the City Armed Reserve Headquarters and that they have receipts for the same. 

However, the receipts were not seized, as the IO had informed Mahesh Bhagwat that they were not seized due to oversight. When the commission questioned him on it, he said, “The aspect was important, but since the available records were corroborating, I had not given specific instructions.”

When asked about the available records and what they had corroborated, the officer said specific entries were made while issuing the weapons and rounds to the police personnel. “Though the IO has obtained copies of the relevant entries, he has not made it a part of the investigation case document,” he said.
Referring to the High Court’s directions to the SIT to seize the arms registers, the commission questioned why the orders were not complied with. “Due to oversight, the IO has not made this document as a part of the investigation.”

Further, the commission pointed to the directions of the High Court to seize registers and not just take copies of the entries from the register and asked, “Do you want to say that the IO and you, as the head of the SIT, failed to comply with the HC orders through oversight,” to which he replied saying that the High Court’s order does not direct them towards the seizure of registers, but only entries of weapons. 
Since, even the entries were also not made a part of the investigation by presenting the same for the benefit of the commission, would it not amount to a breach of the order,” the commission asked.

“Yes. It will amount to a breach of the order,” Mahesh Bhagwat replied.  He also told the commission that the IO has collected authenticated copies of the entries from the registers, but forgot to make them a part of the investigation. The commission also asked if the IO visited the houses of the accused and recorded the statements of their family and relatives. “The IO went to their houses, but there is no record of it. But in the case diary, time is not mentioned, nothing else is mentioned,” he said.

SP GRILLED
Wanaparthy SP K Apoorva Rao informed about the number of live rounds issued to Amangal and Nandigama SHOs, the number of rounds fired, the rounds left in the pistol butt and chamber.

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