ACP’s counsel presents victim’s CCTV footage before SC panel

HYDERABAD: Advocate Keerthi Kiran Kota appearing for V Surender, then ACP Shadnagar, the Investigating officer (IO) in the rape and murder case of a veterinarian, while presenting his arguments before the judicial commission on Thursday, stated that the four accused were arrested based on evidence. 

He contended that the victim’s family members had identified her charred body, her belongings at the plot and also in the footage, when it was pointed out to him, that the face of the person in the footage was not clear. He submitted that during the arrests, the SHO Shadnagar and his team were in uniform, but that was not mentioned in the affidavit, as it is normal for police to be in uniform. “Information was given to their family members and they had come to the Shadnagar police station also. All procedures were followed,” the advocate said.

Keerthi Kiran also presented before the commission, CCTV footage collected by the investigating team. CCTV footage of the victim arriving at the Tondupally toll plaza on her scooter, parking it, walking towards the ORR, then at the hospital in Gachibowli, where she had gone for a doctor consultation, her return to the toll plaza, walking to her scooter and then disappearing. 

Later, the truck belonging to the accused and the victim’s vehicle leaving the place towards Chatanpally, one of the accused asking for fuel in a plastic container at a petrol pump and further after burning the victim’s body, the truck returning towards Tondupally. Footage also showed that two accused were waiting on the road while the other two went back to Chatanpally on the victim’s scooter to check if her body was completely burnt or not, and then to Gasmiyanguda near Shamshabad.

Unable to see

After viewing the footage, the commission observed that they could not see the accused carrying the victim forcefully despite the area being well lit.