The Andhra Pradesh high court on Wednesday sought a detailed report from the state police department on the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Hemanth alias Dummu, accused in the chainsaw attack on a Class 10 girl student at a government school in Anantapur district, and directed police to explain the subsequent handling of the injured man, people aware of the matter said.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Lisa Gill, which was hearing arguments over a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in connection with the police firing on Hemanth, asked the police department to submit an affidavit explaining the circumstances surrounding the firing and the subsequent developments in the case. The high court bench also sought details about the medical treatment being provided to the girl student and her present health condition. He was being taken to Rapthadu for a reconstruction of the crime scene when he allegedly tried to flee and hurled stones at the police personnel escorting him. Senior advocate Solomon Raju, appearing on behalf of Hemanth, brought to the court’s attention the manner in which the police had opened fire on Hemanth, as well as the actions taken by the police subsequently.
The petitioner sought a direction from the court to declare the alleged firing of six rounds by police personnel and the subsequent dragging and improper handling of the injured accused while shifting him to a hospital as illegal, arbitrary and violative of the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Additional director of medical education and hospital superintendent Dr D Malleshwari said the amputation, performed following the court’s direction, was carried out above the knee in the early hours following severe complications arising from bullet injuries sustained during an encounter with the police. Hemanth, who was arrested by a special police team in the Atmakur forest area of the district on Sunday evening, was shot by the police on Sunday night while allegedly attempting to escape custody, officers said. Hemanth’s right leg was amputated on Tuesday at the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Anantapur. The PIL was filed by one Gunda Gopikrishna on Monday, seeking an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the police firing and the handling of Hemanth after he sustained bullet injuries.
