All four accused in the Hyderabad veterinarian’s rape and murder case have been killed in an exchange of fire with police on Friday morning, reported news agency ANI.
As per reports by news agency PTI, a senior official said that the incident took place around 6:30 AM. The accused were being taken to the site of offence for the reconstruction of the scene of the crime. This was part of the investigation.
Another officer added that the accused snatched weapons from the police and fired on them and tried to escape. Two policemen were also injured. In retaliation, the police fired in which the four accused died.
They were shot dead on NH-44 near Hyderabad- the same highway where the charred body of 26-year-old Priyanka Reddy was found.
The Brutal Rape And Murder Case
Nationwide protests had erupted after the charred body of a 26-year-old woman was found in an underpass on Hyderabad outskirts. On November 27, the veterinary doctor was smothered, raped and then burnt by four men at night. Her body was found the next day under a culvert on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway.
According to the Cyberabad police, the four accused had punctured the rear wheel of her scooter and offered to help her. But, they dragged her to a secluded spot close to a toll plaza and raped her.
The four men, all lorry workers, aged between twenty and twenty-five, were arrested on November 29. The accused were identified as Mohammad Areef, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen, and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu.
All four had been sent to judicial custody for fourteen days. A case was registered under Section 376 (punishment for rape), 302 (punishment for murder) and other sections of the Nirbhaya Act.
What has the victim’s family said?
Reacting to the killing of the four accused in the encounter, the victim’s father said, “It has been ten days to the day my daughter died. I express my gratitude towards the police and government for this. My daughter’s soul must be at peace now.”
What has the accused’s family said?
As per reports in The Quint, after the news of the encounter came out, accused Areef’s father said that they were informed in the morning itself that their son had been killed.
According to Ibrahim, Areef’s neighbor alleged that the incident was a ‘planned’ one. They did not believe it to be an encounter.
News Source: The Quint, India Today
Image Source: PTI