Police resorted to 'retaliatory' firing: CV Sajjanar on encounter
Hyderabad: The Telangana Police on Friday said its personnel resorted to "retaliatory" firing after two of the accused in the rape and murder of a woman veterinarian opened fire at police after snatching weapons from them this morning.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner CV Sajjanar said one of the accused, Mohammed Arif, was the first to open fire, even as the police team that took them to the crime scene were attacked with stones and sticks.
The police returned fire after initial "restraint" and asking the accused to surrender, he told reporters here.The snatched weapons were in "unlocked" position, he added.
The accused were not handcuffed when the firing took place and the incident happened between 5.45 am and 6.15 am this morning, he said.
Detailing the events leading to the exchange of fire, the top official said the police team brought the accused to the location based on their 'confession' to recover a cellphone and 'other objects.'
"...all the four accused got together, they started attacking the police party with stones, sticks, and other material. And they also they snatched away weapons from our two officers and started firing," he said.
"Even though our officers maintained restraint and asked them to surrender, without listening to us, they continued to fire and attack...our people started retaliation.
And in that retaliation four accused got killed," he said. The injured, a police sub-inspector and a constable, had suffered head injuries among others and were undergoing treatment, he said.
The police were collecting data from other parts of the state, besides Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on similar cases to ascertain if the four had any role in them, Sajjanar added.
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Watch: Tusker rescued from 20-foot well in Sullia after 16-hour operation
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Mangaluru (PTI): A lone tusker that had fallen into an abandoned 20-foot-deep well in Dakshina Kannada district was successfully rescued after forest officials constructed an earthen ramp, allowing the animal to walk out safely, officials said.
The incident occurred when the elephant, aged about 30 years and roaming in the forested Sampaje range of Sullia taluk in the Western Ghats, accidentally fell into the well in the early hours of Monday and was rescued at around 4 pm the same day, they said.
Initially, when the operation began, officials suspected it was a calf. But midway through the rescue, as it made its way out, they realised it was actually an elephant.
The animal remained trapped inside the well for nearly 16 hours before being rescued, officials added.
Huge relief, the elephant is out of the well.
— Harish Upadhya (@harishupadhya) April 13, 2026
The animal has moved into nearby plantations instead of heading back to the forest. Forest teams remain on high alert.#ElephantRescue #Karnataka https://t.co/ZCLU6COXTv pic.twitter.com/begPVx1oki
According to officials, acting swiftly, the Karnataka Forest Department created a gradual ramp from the bottom of the well to ground level using earth-moving equipment, ensuring a safe exit path for the animal.
After spending about 16 hours inside the well, the elephant walked out safely using the ramp and disappeared into the nearby forest, officials said.
A wild elephant trapped in a well in Peraje, Sullia. Rescue underway. Forest officials on-site for hours, digging to bring the animal out safely. Prayers for the gentle giant. #elephants #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/GZ7yp7pA8q
— Harish Upadhya (@harishupadhya) April 13, 2026
Forest department officials told PTI that the tusker did not sustain any injuries despite the fall and remained healthy and alert throughout the operation.
They monitored the animal as it climbed the ramp and returned to its natural habitat.
The timely intervention prevented any harm to the elephant and highlighted the swift response of the forest team in wildlife rescue operations in the Western Ghats region, which is known for human-elephant conflict incidents.
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