HomeBig StoriesProbe into Vijayawada rape-murder case after 12-years

Probe into Vijayawada rape-murder case after 12-years

In a sensational development, after 12 years of the rape and murder of B-Pharmacy student Ayesha Meera, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday exhumed her body for autopsy. The young girl was raped and murdered in a hostel in Vijayawada. Later, she was found lying in a pool of blood in bathroom on the night of December 27, 2007.

Taking up the probe, a team of forensic experts from Delhi were conducting the autopsy at the graveyard in Tenali. The body was exhumed early Tuesday under the supervision of CBI official leading the probe into the sensational case, which saw many twists and turns. The victim”s family had alleged that the evidence was wiped out from the scene of the offence to shield the guilty. It claimed that a relative of the then minister and his friends were involved in the crime but innocents were arrested and sentenced.

In 2008, police had claimed that one Satyam Babu, arrested in a cell phone robbery case, confessed to Ayesha”s murder. The Mahila Court in Vijayawada, on September 10, 2010, convicted and sentenced Satyam Babu to life imprisonment. In 2017, the Hyderabad High Court acquitted Satyam Babu, a Dalit youth. It also ordered action against the police officials who investigated the case. Subsequently, the state government constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a fresh probe. The High Court was supervising the probe by SIT, which found that all records relating to the case were destroyed by the trial court.

ayesha meera case open after 12 years

Expressing its unhappiness over the manner in which SIT conducted the probe, the court in November 2018 handed over the case to CBI The agency was also directed to probe the destruction of records relating to the case. The CBI booked a case against some employees of the trial court. Meanwhile, Ayesha”s mother Shamshad Begum appealed to Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to ensure that it becomes the first case to be tried under Andhra Pradesh Disha Act. Shamshad Begum told media persons on Saturday that over the last 12 years they lost confidence in police and the entire system due to the manner in which the case was handled by them.

Shamshad Begum, who supported police action of killing four accused in gang-rape and murder of a veterinarian in Hyderabad early this month, wondered why similar action is not taken in other cases to ensure speedy justice. “Justice is delivered in selected cases. It is only for the rich and powerful while victims from ordinary and poor families like us are made to run from pillar to post,” she said.

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