Hyderabad Encounter Killings: Supreme Court extends time limit for probe by Inquiry Commission by six months

The Supreme Court today extended by six months the time limit for completion of the Inquiry Commission's probe into the Hyderabad Encounter Killing of December 2019..A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian granted the six-month extension today.The panel appointed to investigate last year's alleged fake encounter killing of four rape-murder accused in Hyderabad filed an application seeking more time to wrap up the investigation in light of the COVID-19 pandemic..During today's hearing, one of the petitioners also prayed for the Court to issue guidelines to ensure that no encounter killings take place. Taking objection to a prayer of this nature, the Court pulled up the advocate arguing in person and said that lawyers have a higher responsibility on them.."How can any court in the world grant relief like this and say there should be no crime. As a lawyer, you have a higher responsibility on you. How can we ensure no deaths in custody?"CJI Bobde.On December 12 last year, the Bench headed by CJI Bobde had set up the panel after hearing a petition filed by two advocates - GS Mani and Pradeep Kumar Yadav - seeking an independent investigation into the alleged fake encounter killing of four men accused of raping and murdering a 26-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad last November..Hyderabad Encounter: Supreme Court sets up inquiry commission to probe the encounter killing of four rape accused.The panel is headed by former Supreme Court judge, Justice VS Sirpurkar. The other members are former Judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice Rekha Baldota and former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, DR Karthikeyan..Telangana Encounter: Supreme Court specifies terms of reference for Inquiry Commission probing case.The Court had earlier asked the panel to complete its investigation by September 3. The application seeking extension of the time limit reads,."Even though the work of the commission is continuing, the same could not be completed because of the prevailing pandemic situation...Therefore, the inquiry commission is constrained to apply for an extension of time of six months from the date the commission is able to function with physical hearings, spot inspections etc."Application filed in Supreme Court.The application filed by Advocate K Parameshwar further states that the COVID-19 situation has "hindered the sittings of the Inquiry Commission as the three members of the Commission reside in different cities and the place of inquiry is in a wholly different city as well"..Read Order: