New Delhi, April 9
Eminent lawyer Rebecca John on Thursday said an independent judiciary monitored enquiry should be ordered in the killing of five undertrials in Telangana.

Speaking at a forum on 'Campaign against fascist designs', John, referring to the lack of evidence that saw all 16 accused security personnel in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre in Uttar Pradesh being acquitted by a court here last month, said: "The Telangana case, or wood cutters in Andhra Pradesh go the same way. A probe should be done under judicial supervision. If the court can order it for the 2G case, why not for this, human lives are more important."

In Telangana, five alleged terror operatives were gunned down on way to court and police alleged they tried to snatch weapons and escape.

Twenty alleged wood smugglers were shot down by Andhra Pradesh Police on Tuesday in a forest in Chittor for alleged felling of red sander trees. Police claimed they were attacked by the smugglers.

Muslims leaders meet Telangana CM, seeks probe into killings

 A delegation of Muslim leaders on Thursday met Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to demand probe into the killings of five undertrials by police.

The delegation of United Muslim Action Committee, an umbrella grouping of Muslims organisations, urged him to order the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a sitting judge of the high court.

Stating that the gunfight was "staged-managed", the leaders said there was no way undertrials would have snatched weapons from police as they were handcuffed.

Five undertrials were shot dead by police in a vehicle when they were being brought to Hyderabad from Warangal Central Jail on Monday. Police claimed that they tried to snatch weapons and escape.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi told reporters after meeting with the chief minister that they brought to his notice that the cases against the five youth were in final stage.

Terming the killings as "cold-blooded" murders by police, he said there was need for independent to probe to find the truth.

The delegation also urged the government to provide all assistance to the families of the slain undertrials.

Owaisi said the chief minister promised to look into the demands and take a decision in three days.