Violent Justice

Despite legal and ethical challenges, the police and the government continue to take credit for the Hyderabad encounter.

- Rahul Devulapalli

A thick blanket of fog had enveloped Hyderabad in the wee hours of December 6. Braving low visibility, a fleet of police vehicles made their way to Chatanpally, nearly 40km from the city. They stopped near the spot where Disha was found raped and murdered on November 28. Plain-clothed officers escorted the four accused in the case—Mohammed Arif, Jollu Naveen, Jollu Shiva and Chenna Keshavulu—out of the vehicles. Around 5am, the accused were taken to the nearby fields, ostensibly to recover Disha’s power bank, wristwatch and other belongings. At 6:30am, Shyamala Satyam, who owns the fields, had reached the spot, but the police turned him away.

“Since 1995, I have been visiting my fields every day before dawn. I collect milk from the cattle shelter located in the fields and supply it to nearby villages. The police sent me back that day,” said the 44-year-old farmer, who was also the first to find Disha’s dead body. “When I reached home, I saw on television that four people were killed in my fields.”