Naidu won’t appeal High Court verdict; Ayesha case to be reopened

VIJAYAWADA/NELLORE : In a dramatic turn of events, the AP police are preparing to reopen the Ayesha Meera murder case, after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asked them to bring the real culprits to book and not file an appeal on the Hyderabad High Court’s verdict which acquitted P Satyam Babu of all charges.

At a review meeting on the implications of the HC order with Director General of Police N Sambasiva Rao and other senior officials last evening, the Chief Minister said he did not agree with the contention of the police that the investigation was on sound lines and that if they had lost the case, it was because of the prosecution’s poor show.

Speaking to mediapersons at Nellore on Thursday, the Director General of Police said: “We may go in for a reinvestigation. Ayesha Meera’s mother too had expressed doubts on the line of investigation. We are searching for legal possibilities for reinvestigation and have found a few.”

Though the police had been hoping that the state government would give them a green signal to go in for an appeal on the High Court verdict, the CM had a different view of this. He reportedly told them that since the High Court had categorically stated that Satyam Babu had been framed in the case, reinvestigation should be done. 

The other factor that is learnt to have weighed with the CM was that if the government allows the police to go in for an appeal, it would send out a message that it did not care for the sentiments of either Ayesha Meera’s parents or Satyam Babu’s family. Ayesha Meera belongs to the minority Muslim community and Satyam Babu, to a scheduled caste.

If any indication is given that the Chief Minister is on the side of the police, it  would recoil on him politically. Hence, his refusal for permission to go in for an appeal, sources said. 

Referring the names of the officials who were in charge of the investigation of the case to an apex committee that had been constituted with the home secretary as its chairman was discussed at the meeting. Since the High Court had given direction to the state government to send the names to the committee, the government would have to do it sooner than later. When contacted, Principal Secretary Home AR Anuradha said she could not comment on the issue over telephone.

Home Minister N China Rajappa could not be contacted. A few days ago, Rajappa had said that since the High Court had given a direction, the state government would abide by it.

Ayesha Meera was found dead in the bathroom of her hostel at Ibrahimpatnam in the early hours of December 27, 2007. The police after eight months arrested Satyam Babu, claiming that he had murdered and raped her.