Hyderabad: In a twist to the sensational encounter at the Seshachalam Hills in Tirupati in which 22 red sanders cutters were killed, the Hyderabad High Court directed the criminal court of Tirupati not to hear the protest petitions filed by relatives of the dead in response to the charge sheet filed by the police in the case.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter was issuing interim orders while admitting writ petitions seeking severe action against the police personnel involved in the encounter.
The Special Investigation Team constituted to probe the encounter filed a charge sheet in the criminal court at Tirupati recently. The petitioners moved the court pleading that the court at Tirupati is asking them to file protest petitions, and if the court passes orders on protest petitions their cases before the High Court against the SIT and the police officers will be affected.
After seeking the response of the AP counsel, the bench permitted the petitioners to file protest petitions to challenge the charge sheet filed by the SIT in the criminal court within four weeks. The criminal court will not hear or decide these protest petitions being filed by relatives of the dead till further orders.
