HYDERABAD: The encounter deaths during the wee hours of December 28 at Masjid Jutta in Ranga Reddy district which falls right at the door steps of Hyderabad have exposed the state police for What they are bunch of assassins in Khaki. The gory talent how the state police eliminated an “in convenient” describe and dared to cross their path and the blatant cover up operations that followed bear sample of this.

The chain of events on the grateful night of December 27 the “pick and shoot” incidents  were reminiscent of a Latin American political thriller. It is also an eye opener into what these encounters mean where the police take it for granted that they are licensed to kill anybody suspected of having contacts with the Peoples War Group (PWG).

Gulas Rasool a journalist who had put over eight years in the profession and Vijaya Prasad Rao a journalist aspirant were the victims of such a fraudulent encounter Rasool a post graduate in as had done quite a few stories. on the PWG and had expose a few incidents of police atrocities on weaker sections. Hailing from a lower middle class family from Sharajipet village near Aler (ahot bed of militant activities of late) in Nalagonda district he was working in the Udayam a prominent Telegu daily as a stringer. He leaves behind a 20 yrs. old wife and two kids aged four and two.

Rasool and Rao were last seen December 27 evening when Rasool borrowed his colleague Pratap Reddys scooter to go 10 the office of the Eenadu another popular daily. When they did not return till late night Rasools colleagues made enquiries but without result. It was when the next day’s (December 29) news papers carried news and photo graphs of the “encounter” that the unbelievable came to light.

Rasool and Rao were apparently picked up by the police on their way to Ramantha pur in an un numbered police vehicle. Rasools professional friends suspect that the two might have been inter cepted by the deputy super in ten dent of police of Randa Reddy district and killed in an unknown place in full knowledge of the state home minister Mysoora Reddy who reportedly believes that militants have infiltrated journalistic circles and the government should teach them a bitter lesson”. The police officials” displeasure over the cover age given to the militants by the local press is also said to be a factor responsible for this

According to the police version the two journalists were among the six militants meeting at Masjid gitta well past midnight and were killed in the ensuing en counter when the police raided the place around 4 a.m. The district police chief later said in a statement that Rasool was the central organizer of the Satyam Alan which operates in Aler area and had extorted money from businessmen He was also blamed for the murder of a local village president

Narayan Deshmukh deputy in Spector genera of police (special intelligence) told Sunday Mail that Rasool had extorted money from businessmen to the tune of Rs lakh.” He also carried a pistol with him We will prove before the appropriate authorities that Rasool had top level connections with the militants” he said. An other senior police official said that a large number of “sympathizers of militants” had joined the Udayam when it was launched.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 17, 1992