Semmaram Encounter Killings Fact Finding Report2

Tamil Research Institution (TRI)
As they were forced to board a black and blue van, they were protesting saying that
we have not done anything wrong, we have come to work in these forests near the temple,
why are you catching us and they were beaten up.
They were brought to the entrance of the Thirupathy hill Kabilaththeertam temple
where the STF office bungalow was situated and all of them were kept here.
In the meanwhile, the special teams brought 14 others persons, they were stripped
to their underwear and electric shock was administered until they cried out in agony.
They blind folded the men who were given shock treatment so that the others could
watch or be silent spectators and they were traumatised more than the victims. A welding
rod which was red hot was used on their bare bodies and they were tortured.
Their cries of agony reverberated in the forest but it did not reach anywhere. They
were beaten with bamboos and were told that no one should enter the forests of Andhra
Pradesh in the future. Their bodies were scarred with wounds from the thrashing and the
burning. The special team stopped the torture only when they all swooned or fell
unconscious.
The special teams received the instructions to bring all the people who were in their
custody to Thirupathi. At 8.20 pm on the 6 th they all reached Kabalitheertham bungalow. At
8.30, Kantha Rao arrived and there was an emergency discussion Kantha Rao told DGP
Ramadu “If we give them a shot no one would survive, the FIR can be filed in the morning
and we can remand them in the jail”, he said.
He responded saying, Venkataih Naidu the Central Minister has come to Thirupathy
along with the CM Chandrababu to meet Smurthy Rani so I will consult him and get back to
you.
At once, he spoke to the first secretary Sathish Chandra one of the CM’s secretaries
looking after home affairs, who gave the phone to Chandrababu Naidu and the DGP talked
to him.
He told him that there have been certain decisions which have been taken regarding
Red sanders smuggling, so go ahead and stage an encounter and at 9.30 pm the CM left
Thirupathy. Kantha Rao was informed of the instruction of the CM.
Immediately, he gave instructions to the special team to load the logs of red sanders
into the van. (This wood was already cut and piled up by the forest department). The special
team told Kantha Rao, that these logs were marked and codified and he asked them to
destroy the markings and to load the logs into the van.
They were unable to wipe out the markings for lack of time and so they loaded them
on to the van. At 12 pm, the 20 men’s hands were tied tightly behind and they were loaded
into the van and taken into the thick forest area. All of them were in a state of shock.
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