Congress Leader Sharmistha Mukherjee Demands Inquiry Into Hyderabad Encounter

Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee on Friday raised questions over the killing of all the four accused in the rape-and-murder case of a 25-year-old Hyderabad woman veterinarian last month and demanded an "unbiased inquiry" into the incident. The accused were killed near Hyderabad in an exchange of fire with the police on Friday morning.

"If the police version is right that they (accused) wanted to flee, then you cannot allow those who have committed such heinous crimes to get away," said Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee. "But, on the other hand, there was a lot of public outrage and public pressure on the government. If the government has taken any step under public pressure that could be an extra judicial killing, then that is a very dangerous situation for the country because it will set a precedent," she said.

There should be an "unbiased inquiry", so that people are convinced that this is not a state encounter, Mukherjee said. Mukherjee, who is a Congress spokesperson, specified that her remarks were in her personal capacity.