Hyderabad: Even as protests raged across the country demanding death penalty for the four accused in the rape and murder of a 22-year-old veterinarian on the outskirts of Hyderabad, a court here has posted for Tuesday a petition filed by the police seeking 10-day custody.
Telangana Director General of Police M Mahender Reddy, who reviewed the progress of the case on Sunday night, instructed police officials to ensure time-bound completion of the investigation.
The official also said they were in the process of setting up of a fast track court to try the four accused. He further said they will seek maximum punishment for the perpetrators of the gruesome incident.
Meanwhile, protests against the heinous crime continued in the city and other parts of Telangana on Monday with students, lawyers and others taking out rallies and holding demonstrations demanding death penalty for the four accused. Raising slogans like "We want justice" and holding placards that read "Hang the rapists", the protesters condemned the incident.
The charred body of the woman, working as an assistant veterinarian at a state-run hospital, was found dumped under a culvert at Shadnagar on November 28 morning, a day after she went missing.
Four men, all lorry workers, aged between 20 and 24, were arrested on November 29 on charges of raping and killing the woman by smothering her and later burning the body. They were sent to judicial custody for 14 days on Saturday. They are now kept in solitary confinement at Cherlapally Prison in the city.
The incident sent shockwaves across the state, drew all round condemnation besides bringing people from all walks of life out on streets in protest against the heinous crime.
Telangana Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Friday condemned the incident and promised to personally monitor the case.
Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Friday said the accused involved in gangrape and murder of a young veterinarian will be tried in a fast-track court and the government will try to ensure that the guilty are awarded death penalty.
He told reporters this case will be tried like the case relating to rape and murder of a nine-month-old girl in Warangal. Within two months of the gruesome incident in Warangal, a local court in August sentenced 27-year-old convict to death.
Lok Sabha members on Monday expressed outrage at the incident and the government's inability to provide a safe environment for women who are equal citizens and deserving of their rights. Centre has in response said that it was ready for a discussion and willing to explore more stringent provisions in laws to check such situations.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who fell short of words to condemn the heinous crime, said he was "ready for discussions in the House so that stringent provisions in laws could be explored to give punishment to those involved in such ghastly incidents."
(With inputs from PTI)
