Hyderabad: The Telangana State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the custodial killing of a Muslim youth, Sheikh Riyaz, at a hospital in Nizamabad town, directing the state’s Director General of Police to submit a detailed report on the incident.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Riyaz, who was recently arrested in connection with the murder of police Constable Pramod Kumar, was shot dead by police inside the hospital where he was receiving treatment. Police claimed the youth tried to snatch a constable’s service weapon and attempted to escape.
The Commission, however, noted that the incident occurred under custodial circumstances, raising serious concerns about the violation of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and non-compliance with Supreme Court and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines on encounter deaths.
“The matter has grave human rights implications and warrants independent scrutiny,” the SHRC stated, citing its authority under Regulation 25 of the A.P. State Human Rights Commission (Procedure) Regulations, 2013. It directed the DGP to furnish a factual report by October 24, detailing the circumstances of the encounter, the status of the magisterial inquiry, copies of the FIR and post-mortem report, and compliance with the NHRC and Supreme Court guidelines.
The fake encounter killing has sparked outrage among rights activists, who say such “staged shootouts” reflect a growing culture of impunity within India’s policing system, particularly against marginalized communities.
