SC seeks status report on Azad killing

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Andhra Pradesh government to file the status report on its investigation into the killing of Communist Party of India-Maoist leader Cherukuri Rajkumar akias Azad and freelance journalist HC Pandey in an alleged exchange of fire with police last year.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Andhra Pradesh government to file the status report on its investigation into the killing of Communist Party of India-Maoist leader Cherukuri Rajkumar akias Azad and freelance journalist HC Pandey in an alleged exchange of fire with police last year.

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An apex court bench of justice Aftab Alam and justice RM Lodha said that it was not casting any aspersions on the probe being carried out by the deputy superintendent of police of the state police, but it may not inspire confidence.

"In this matter, we cannot afford an iota of doubt about the death of these two people. We have to be 100% sure what led to their death," the court said.

The court wanted to know if there was an investigative mechanism under the state human rights commission which could be entrusted with the investigation of the case.

However, the court was not inclined to go by the plea of petitioner Bineta Pandey for setting up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged killing of her husband HC Pandey and Maoist leader Azad on the night of July 1-2, 2010.