Hyderabad Rape Case: The police said the four accused tried to escape from the crime scene
Highlights
- Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder in December 2012 shook the nation
- Her parents congratulated Telangana cops after rape accused were killed
- "There should be no action against the police," said Nirbhaya's mother
The parents of Nirbhaya, whose gang-rape and murder in December 2012 in Delhi shook the nation, have congratulated the Telangana Police after the force claimed they shot dead four accused in the gang-rape and murder of a veterinarian.
The four accused were taken to the spot off a highway near Hyderabad, where they allegedly burned the body of the 26-year-old veterinarian after committing the crime last week, to reconstruct the sequence of events as part of the investigation, the police said.
The police said the accused tried to escape. Reports said the accused even tried to snatch the weapons of the policemen, following which they were shot dead.
"I would like to thank the police. I am very happy with the kind of punishment they have got. The police have set an example. The police have done a very good job. There should be no action against the police. Criminals need to be scared of the police. We need this kind of punishment for criminals these days," Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi told news agency ANI.
"For seven years I have been waiting, going from court to court, making rounds of lower court asking to hang them, but the court said they also have human rights, can't hang them. But it's needed today," Asha Devi said. "Something has changed today with the action by the Telangana Police. I am very happy," she added.
Nirbhaya's father Badrinath Singh said, "Am happy with the encounter because our daughter's rapist is still alive and we die everyday. At least the parents of the Telangana woman won't have to go through this... It would have been worse for the Telangana Police if the accused had escaped. They did a good job."
On November 27, the men, all truck-drivers and cleaners, saw the veterinarian park her scooter near a toll-booth. She left for a dermatology appointment. They allegedly punctured a tyre of the scooter and had drinks while waiting for her. When she returned, they pretended to help, gang-raped her at a deserted spot, strangled her and burnt her body to destroy evidence, according to the police.
The woman's father told news agency ANI: "It has been 10 days to the day my daughter died. I express my gratitude towards the police and the government for this. My daughter's soul must be at peace now."
Amid spiralling outrage, the Telangana Law Department had approved a fast-track court to try the case.
A former police officer controversially suggested public anger had left the police with little choice. "Although it's totally unprofessional, but I think this was what was expected. I knew something like this was going to happen," said Swaranjit Sen, a former Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh.
Others spoke against instant justice. "Rape is an heinous crime. It must be dealt with strictly under the provisions of law. While I hold no brief for the alleged perpetrators of this dastardly act, 'encounter' killings are a blot to our system. While I understand the urge for instant justice, this is not the way," Congress MP Karti Chidambaram tweeted.