The Supreme Court on Thursday said there should be an "impartial enquiry" into the encounter killings of the four men accused in the gangrape and murder of a veterinarian in Telangana. An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde was hearing two public interest litigations seeking an independent probe into the deaths last week.

The Telangana government justified the encounter, saying the accused snatched two firearms and shot at a police party. "We are of the considered view that there should be an impartial inquiry into the encounter deaths of the four people accused in the gangrape and murder of a veterinarian in Telangana," the bench, also comprising Justices S A Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, said.