Snatchers did not open fire, encounter needless, finds panel

Some of the key points put forth by the committee led by A Marx of National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO), after meeting the chain snatching victim, her relatives, police officials and villagers, are that the snatchers never fired the gun as projected in the media and that the police already knew that the gun in their possession was useless as the snatching victim’s relatives had already surrendered a portion of the damaged pistol and a few bullets left behind by the suspects.

While DIG Sathiyapriya told the committee that a policeman suffered injuries during the search, the committee could not find the injured policeman at the Sriperumpudur government hospital when they went for a visit.

While residents of the area did not have any complaints about the guest workers staying in the locality, police searches would send a wrong message among them and instigate hatred, the report read.

It may be noted that while police have arrested Naeem Akhtar in connection with the case, the deceased Murtaza’s brother is still at large.