AP acid attack: Row over ‘encounter’ of accused

In an action that has created a huge controversy police have gunned down three youths who had allegedly thrown acid on two engineering girl students.

In an action that has created a huge controversy police have gunned down three youths who had allegedly thrown acid on two engineering girl students, claiming that the three had attacked the police party.

The main suspect Srinivas and accomplice Sanjay and Harikrishna were shot dead when they allegedly attacked the police party which went to recover a motor cycle used by them in the incident at Mavunoor last night, SP Warangal V L Sajjanar said.

“They (accused) tried to spray the acid and the weapons and the knives. And so our people reacted and the three accused were killed. Definitely they had criminal intention to harm us,” said Sajjanar.

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The police action immediately attracted adverse comments with a civil rights lawyer questioning the gunning down of the accused.

“It is spine-chilling. A system that loses faith in the judicial system and in the rule of law is complete anarchy. We are heading towards chaos,” said civil rights lawyer L Ravichander.

Referring to a media headline which said justice had been done, she said “do they understand what kind of lack of safety they are heading towards when they permit the police to decide to become justice administrators?”

The police action comes in the wake of a huge public outcry over an acid attack on two engineering girl students on Wednesday.

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One of the girls, Swapnika, is battling for life after the attack by a jilted lover in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh.

The condition of Swapnika, who is undergoing treatment, remains critical with doctors saying she will be under close observation for the next 48 hours. The other girl Pranitha, is however, recovering.

On Thursday, home Minister K Jana Reddy was gheraoed by angry activists of women organisations when he visited the private hospital where Swapnika, a final year B.Tech student and Pranitha are undergoing treatment.

Stung by the protests, Reddy announced suspension of the police officials on the charge of failing to take prompt action on the complaint of Swapnika’s father about her harassment by Srinivas.