HC clears 2 Hyderabad cops in 2003 encounter case

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HYDERABAD: Telangana HC cleared two cops over the 2003 death of a suspect in an alleged encounter, upholding a sessions court’s decision.Justice Juvvadi Sridevi held there was no credible evidence to sustain the charge of murder: “On the contrary, the material indicates the incident occurred in circumstances of private defence while the cops were discharging their official duties.”HC dismissed an NGO’s plea challenging exoneration of the cops and confirmed dropping of murder charges. The suspect had allegedly stabbed one of the cops in Zaheerabad, 120km from Hyderabad, snatched his rifle and attempted to open fire. In response, another cop, a sub-inspector, shot the suspect, killing him on the spot.Stressing that concerns about ‘police excess’ must be carefully examined, HC said the facts in this instance did not support allegations of murder.