Telangana High Court Upholds Exoneration of Police Officers in 2003 Encounter Case

In a ruling made on 2025-10-02, the Telangana High Court has upheld the exoneration of two police officers in a two-decade-old encounter killing case from 2003. The court dismissed a petition challenging the officers' clean chit and confirmed the dropping of murder charges against them.

According to the case records, the incident occurred in Zaheerabad when a suspect allegedly stabbed a constable, snatched his rifle, and attempted to open fire. In response, a sub-inspector shot and killed the suspect. A murder case was subsequently registered against the two officers involved.

However, a magisterial inquiry conducted at the time found the firing to be "in protection of life and justified." A subsequent CB-CID probe also concluded that the officers acted "in private defense while discharging their official duties" and closed the case.

Challenging these findings, an NGO had approached the jurisdictional magistrate, who took cognizance of the case. The officers then contested the magistrate's order before a sessions court, which set aside the proceedings. The NGO's further appeal before the high court has now been dismissed.

Justice Juvvadi Sridevi, who heard the matter, held that there was no credible evidence to sustain the murder charge. The judge observed that "the material strongly indicates that the incident occurred in circumstances of private defense while the police officers were discharging their official duties."