Advocate couple murder: Telangana HC takes suo-motu cognizance

Hyderabad: Telangana high court on Thursday took suo-motu cognizance of the gruesome murder of an advocate couple that took place in Peddapalli district on Wednesday.

A two-judge division bench, consisting of Telangana chief justice Hima Kohli and Justice B Vijayasen Reddy, directed a proper investigation stating that the ‘murders have shaken us all from out stupor’. The Bench also voiced concern in the manner in which in broad daylight the couple was done to death.

“The entire State apart from the legal community is looking upto the Government to ensure a proper working of the Rule of Law. We are all governed by the Law and nobody can take law into their own hands,” chief justice Kohli said.

The Bar Council of Telangana issued a statement condemning the alleged incident. “The country is witnessing frequent attacks on advocates and that and that no person can take Law into hands and resort to illegal activities and that the matter shall be dealt with as per the Law,” it said.

Earlier in the day, lawyers staged protest at the Hyderabad high court, Ranga Reddy district court and Secunderabad court and demanded that police act swiftly and nab the killers soon.

The murders took place at around 3 pm on Wednesday, in front of a petrol bunk at Kalvacharla village of Ramagiri block, when the couple – Gattu Vaman Rao (53) and P V Nagamani (50) – was returning from Manthani town after arguing a case in the local court.

They had earlier complained of harassment in connection to the public interest litigations against alleged custodial death of one Seelam Rangaiah in Manthani.

A video clip of Vamana Rao, lying on the road profusely bleeding with multiple stab injuries and telling the onlookers that one Kunta Srinu from Gunjamadugu village had attacked him and his wife, went viral on social media.