Hyderabad Encounter: Some ex-cops welcome it, some term it 'short-cut'

Reactions of some former senior police officials from Maharashtra on Hyderabad encounter were mixed on Friday, with some justifying action citing circumstances, while ors condemning it as undesirable "short-cut". four men arrested for rape and murder of a 25- year-old woman veterinarian in Hyderabad last month were killed in an `exchange of fire' with a police team on Friday morning.

Former Maharashtra Director General of Police D Sivanandhan said this kind of "short-cut" will t help with prevention of crime in long run. 1976-batch IPS officer, whose tenure in Mumbai in 1990s saw several encounters of gangsters, said, "After encounter, police may get praised for a short period, but it is t good in long run."

Sivanandhan also said it was better to take measures to prevent crime against women with help of techlogy. "re should be proper patrolling and adequate police presence all over city," he said. Ar former top official of Mumbai Police said, requesting anymity, "Whatever happened should t have happened, especially when accused were in police custody."

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Julio Ribeiro, former Mumbai police commissioner, and Punjab DGP condemned encounter. " judicial process system is t working. That is why se short-cuts are adopted under pressure from public and politicians," he said.

S S Virk, who served as DGP of Maharashtra and Punjab, said going by circumstances narrated by Hyderabad Police, action was justified. "TV clips show that people are very happy with police action. I do t disagree with m. (But) While praising encounter, on whole, we also have to see wher re was any legal lacuna," he said.

" rape and murder were barbaric. If such things start happening n girl or woman will feel safe," Virk said, adding that it was a crime against entire society. "In Nirbhaya case, strong legal action was taken against accused. y were all sentenced to death, but have t been hanged so far," he pointed out.

" legal system loses its impact in such cases. When our criminal justice system becomes weak and ineffective, public expects strong action. n even if action is t strictly legal, people welcome it," he said. "We have to fast-track our system, make it more effective," Virk said.

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Former Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh, who is w BJP MP from Baghpat, hailed encounter. "I would like to congratulate Hyderabad Police for tackling situation with great valour. It would've been a big stain on uniform if culprits would've mand to escape from custody. Jai Hind," he said in a tweet.

Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Prafulla Bhosale, one of Mumbai police officers who gained fame as `encounter specialists', justified killings, saying it was "need of situation". "It is justified as accused tried to snatch weapons of policemen during crime scene reconstruction," he said. "Had accused mand to flee, it would have been disgusting for police and y would have been blamed for negligence," he added.

Nirbhaya cop on Hyderabad encounter

Former Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar, who handled 2012 Nirbhaya Delhi gangrape-and-murder case, on Friday said thought of killing accused never crossed his mind. Former Delhi Police commissioner recalled that it was a "tough time" when Nirbhaya case was reported in December 2012 since policemen were treated as "rapists." 

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"re was a lot of pressure at that time, but thought of killing m never came. We were getting messs, asking us to throw accused in front of hungry lions. Someone said castrate m in public, someone said lynch m, but we just stuck to our guns. re was question of doing anything illegal," former Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar said.

"To investigate what actually happened and transpired, re is a judicial inquiry that has been ordered. We have to wait for its findings to kw wher encounter was justified or t," ex-cop who handled Nirbhaya case said.  

(With PTI inputs)