Its "planned murder", not encounter: Fact-finding team

Chennai, Aug 31 (UNI) A fact-finding team today claimed that the recent killing of 'Vellai' Ravi at Hosur, in Krishnagiri district, was a ''planned murder'' and not an encounter as claimed by the police and demanded a judicial probe into it.

The team, comprising civil rightS activists, was formed by 'Campaign Committee against Fake Encounters' to unearth the facts in the ''encounter'' death of Ravi and his accomplice Guna near Hosur on August one, fact-finding team member A Marx told reporters here.

According to police statement the gangsters were shot dead after they attempted to escape by opening fire on a police team, but had several contradictions, Marx claimed.

He said the team, which visited the ''encounter'' spot and held inquiries with local people and officials involved in the case, came to the conclusion that it was a ''planned murder''.

''There was no evidence of an encounter. They were shot dead from point blank range'', Mr Marx alleged and urged the government to take action against the police officials involved in the killing and order a judicial probe into the encounter.

UNI