From the National Highway 44, the spot is barely visible. But hundreds still thronged the highway, which stands on elevated ground, to catch a glimpse of the four accused who had been shot dead by the police on Friday morning. The accused were shot dead barely 500 metres away from the Chatanpally underpass, where veterinarian Disha’s (name changed) body was burnt last week, after she was gangraped allegedly by the four men.

Around 1.45 pm, more than eight hours after the four of them were killed in a reported encounter, the police allowed the media into the area that had been cordoned off until then. The four bodies lay close to each other – barely a gap of 5 metres between each of them. Accused No. 1 Mohammed Areef, who according to the police, smothered and killed the vet after she was raped, could be seen holding a shot pistol gun in his right hand. In a yellow T-shirt and jeans, his body lay on the ground face-up, no wounds visible on the body, but blood underneath him suggesting that he was shot in the back. Around 3 pm, the police placed his body in a black body bag.

Perpendicular to him lay the body of Accused No. 2 Jollu Shiva. Wearing a white shirt, it was evident from his body, face up, that he had been shot in the chest. A few metres away was the body of Accused No. 3, Jollu Navin, in an orange shirt.

Around 10 metres away from Navin’s body lay the body of fourth accused Chennakesavulu. Wearing a dark blue shirt, he, too, had a gun in his hand.

According to the Cyberabad Commissioner Sajjanar, the four accused had been taken to the Chatanpally underpass where Disha’s body was burnt, early on Friday morning. After evidence collection, around 5.45 am, the four attacked the police team consisting of 10 personnel as they were going back to the highway, Sajjanar said. They threw stones and sticks they could gather and in the following ruckus, two of them snatched guns and ran into the fields.

The Cyberabad Police Commissioner CP Sajjanar said that A1 and A4, Areef and Chennakesavulu, opened fire at the police, and the police officials were forced to retaliate. “They kept firing. They continued to fire and attack despite us asking them to surrender,” he said. In the incident, two police officers named Arvind Goud and Venkateshwarulu were seriously injured, including on their heads, he added. When asked about the nature of injuries, he said, “There are no bullet wounds on the police officers.”

Sajjanar further answered questions posed by reporters: “They were not handcuffed. They ganged up and assaulted us with the sticks found here. Two of them snatched weapons and fired on us. We checked later and they were dead. A1 and A4 - Areef and Chennakesavalu - had weapons. We recovered them,” the Cyberabad police commissioner told the media.

When asked why the accused were brought to the spot late at night, the Commissioner said that they were brought early in the morning and not late at night, and said that the accused had hidden material evidence and the police were trying to retrieve them. “We found Disha’s phone, power bank and her watch. It was buried in a place near the underpass,” the Commissioner said.

“We had to do it early in the morning because you know what happened when they were taken to the Shadnagar police station,” he said, referring to angry public trying to attack the accused when they were brought to the station.

Replying to a question about the criticism from NHRC and others regarding the encounter, he said, "The law has done its duty."

Watch the Commissioner's press conference: