Andhra cops gun down three men held in acid attack case

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Police have gunned down three people in Warangal claiming the trio attacked the police in an attempt to escape.

The three people - Sanjay, Harikrishna and Srinavasa Rao - were arrested in connection with an acid attack on two college students.

All the three were gunned down at around 2300 hrs IST on Friday night.

Police say they were taken to the spot where the motorbike and acid used in the crime was kept.

The accused confessed to the crime but resisted arrest, attacked the officers and tried to flee the spot. Police then opened fire killing all the three.

Warangal Superintendent of Police V Sajjanar told CNN-IBN that the three accused were shot dead after they tried to throw acid at police officers while trying to flee

"Yesterday (Friday) we arrested the three men and they agreed to their crime. As part of investigation we took them to the crime scene where they tried to attack us with acid and fire in retaliation. The police fired back and the three boys were killed," said Sajjanar.

Sambaiyya, the father of Hari Krishna has rubbished police's claim that his son was involved in acid attacks.

"His friend Srinivas (involved in acid attack) had a criminal background. My son is not involved in the acid incident. Police came and took him away and then he was later killed in the encounter," alleged Sambaiyya.

The motorcycle-borne men were accused of throwing acid on two students, Kousetti Swapnika and T Praneetha, when the two were coming from their institute on a two-wheeler from their institute.

Both the victims, who are students of Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Sciences (KITS), are in a serious condition at a hospital in Hyderabad.