VIJAYAWADA: Expressing their displeasure over course of reinvestigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the brutal murder and rape of B Pharm student Ayesha Meera in December 2007, her parents, lawyers and representatives of the Ayesha Meera Nyaya Porata Committee met Director General of Police (DGP) RP Thakur at the police headquarters at Mangalagiri on Tuesday and requested him to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In their letter to the DGP, they alleged that the SIT failed to reinvestigate the case properly and tried to protect the accused. After the High Court acquitted Pidathala Satyam Babu on March 31, 2017, in the case, the then DGP N Sambasiva Rao had constituted the SIT, headed by Vizag range DIG Ch Srikanth and three other senior police officials, to conduct a fresh probe.
“Since the SIT failed in bringing the culprits to book even six months after taking over the investigation, we approached the DGP and requested him to hand over the case to the CBI. Only a probe by the CBI in the case, the real culprits behind the rape and murder of my daughter will be unmasked and justice will be done to her. Soon after Satyam Babu was acquitted, we asked the government to order a CBI inquiry. But, to save the police department from disgrace, the then DGP N Sambasiva Rao constituted SIT comprising junior officials without experience in dealing sensitive cases,” said Shamshad Begum, mother of Ayesha Meera.
In the letter, the parents of the victim and representatives of the Ayesha Meera Nyaya Porata Committee mentioned the reasons cited by SIT officials for the delay in the probe. “When the High Court questioned the SIT for the delay in investigation, they (SIT officials) cited silly reasons like delay in getting funds, dismissal of a plea for narcoanalysis test on the seven accused by the local court, non-functioning of the computer in forensic laboratory and unavailability of roommates of Ayesha. This cannot be the attitude of officials who are dealing with a sensitive case,” Shamshad Begum rued.
Advocate Pichuka Srinivas, who is also a member of the committee fighting for justice to Ayesha, alleged that SIT officials deliberately filed a petition for narco test despite knowing the fact that such a request would be dismissed by the court. “Instead of relying on the available evidence such as DNA reports of Ayesha and the samples collected from the crime scene, SIT officials filed a petition and wasted their valuable time. When the HC questioned the SIT for the probe delay, it said that the evidence was destroyed by local police and forensic official. How can they (SIT officials) remain silent when the crucial evidence was destroyed,” he demanded.DGP Thakur assured Ayesha’s parents that justice would be done and said he would study the case and take necessary action.