Azad encounter: Internal turmoil no justification for fake encounters, says SC

No amount of internal turmoil in the country can justify fake encounter killings by the police, the Supreme Court said today and asked Andhra Pradesh government to file a status report on the probe relating to the killing of a top Maoist leader and a journalist.
A Bench of justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha also hinted that it may entrust the probe to an independent investigating agency under the supervision of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) as the present investigation by the state CB-CID may not inspire confidence.
"No amount of internal disturbances can allow it (encounter) to happen," the bench said when senior counsel Altaf Ahmed, appearing for Andhra Pradesh government, argued that Maoist leader Cherkuri Rajkumar and journalist Hemchandra Pandey were killed in a genuine encounter and cited the growing incidents of Maoist violence in the country.