Hyderabad: Army officials claim that civilians dressed like soldiers must have killed Sheik Mustafauddin at the Mehdipatnam garrison. Filing a counter affidavit in the Mustafa murder case in the HC, Lt. Colonel Atul Devi, the camp commandant at the 47 infantry brigade camp, also said that Lance Naik Appala Raju committed suicide due to police torture.

“The likelihood of civilians dressed in military uniforms committing the murder cannot be ruled out because in his dying declaration Mustafa had said that two men in military uniform attacked him,” the Lt. Colonel said in his counter affidavit.

“The suicide of Lance Naik Raju should not be seen as a sign of his involvement in the case or admission of guilt. He was subjected to prolonged, intense, extensive interrogation by the police Special Investigation Team on numerous occasions. His wife was also interrogated. Therefore the likelihood of him committing suicide as a result of stress due to the police interrogation cannot be ruled out,” he added.

Advocate Gulam Rabbani had filed a PIL regarding the Mustafa murder case. Lt. Colonel Atul Devi said the allegations against Army personnel were biased. He added that around 70 Army officials were interrogated by the police and the Army was fully cooperating with the investigation. He denied allegations that the police were not allowed into Army premises.

Mustafa, who lived near the Army garrison suffered 90 per cent burns after he was allegedly set on fire by military personnel on October 9 last year. The incident occurred inside the garrison and the victim gave a statement to the magistrate that some soldiers burnt him.

A soldier named Raju, who was grilled by the Hyderabad police regarding the murder, shot himself inside the garrison on November 3. He used his duty weapon and died on the spot. The SIT is still investigating the murder case. No arrests have been made so far.