The Telangana government on Wednesday, 4 December, issued orders to designate the Additional District and Session Judge in Mahabubnagar as a special court for speedy trial in the case of gang rape and murder of a 26-year-old woman veterinarian in Hyderabad, The News Minute reported.
The government had earlier appealed to the Telangana High Court to give permission for the same.
According to The News Minute, the order signed by A Santosh Reddy, secretary to government, legal affairs, legislative affairs and justice, states, “Government after careful examination of the proposal, hereby designate the Court of Additional District & Sessions Judge, Mahabubnagar, as a Special Court for speedy trial of the rape and murder case of Disha.”
On Sunday, Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao had ordered the setting up of a fast-track court for the expeditious trial in the alleged rape and murder case. The four accused, who were arrested in connection with the case on Friday, were sent to 14-day judicial remand.
The father of the woman veterinarian has called for speedy action to be taken against the culprits.
“The culprits must be punished as soon as possible. Laws have been made, but they are not being implemented. Take Nirbhaya's case. The culprits must be hanged till death,” he said, speaking to ANI.
Meanwhile, Shadnagar Police have filed a petition in court asking for 10-day police custody for the four accused in connection with the rape and murder in Hyderabad. The petition will be heard on Wednesday, 4 December, ANI reported.
The charred body of the veterinarian doctor was found on Thursday, near an underpass, about 50 km from Hyderabad city.
Read The Quint’s detailed coverage on the case here.
Three Policemen Suspended
Meanwhile, Cyberabad police on Saturday suspended three policemen, including a sub-inspector, for the delay in registering a missing persons case of the victim.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Cyberabad police said that after investigation, four people were taken into custody at Shadnagar police station. The police have identified the four arrested as Mohammad Areef, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen, and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu.
Meanwhile, two days after a woman veterinarian was allegedly raped and set ablaze by four men in Hyderabad, the charred body of another woman, who is yet to be identified, was found in the same locality on Friday, 29 November.
Accused Drunk, Hatched Plan to Rape Woman
The accused noticed the victim parking her bike at Shamshabad toll plaza around 6 pm on Wednesday. The four men then consumed alcohol and came up with a plan to attack the victim, according to the police. Naveen deflated the scooter tyre and when the victim returned to pick up her vehicle, Areef got down from his lorry and informed her that the vehicle had a puncture.
Offering help, Shiva took the bike to get it repaired. Making sure the victim had no means of escape, Areef, Naveen and Chennakeshavulu forced the victim into an abandoned compound near the toll plaza, and raped her. Areef suffocated the victim to death and then helped the others arrange for petrol and dump the victim’s body at an underpass near Chatanpally. That’s where the accused set the body on fire to hide evidence of the crime.
‘Don’t Give Accused Legal Representation’
Reacting to the incident, Union Minister of Home G Kishan Reddy said he has been in touch with officials of the Telangana Government. Reddy also demanded ‘social boycott’ of the accused and suggested they shouldn’t get legal representation in court.
"On behalf of the Central government, I am talking to the state government officials. The Telangana DGP is also coming to Delhi today and he will meet me. Those who were involved in the crime should be socially boycotted and no lawyer should represent them," Reddy said.
Meanwhile, Telangana Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali said that the incident could have been averted if she had called the police instead of her sister.
“We are saddened by the incident. Police is alert and controlling crime. It is unfortunate that she called her sister and not '100', had she called '100' she could have been saved,” Ali said.
Centre to Send Advisory
The Centre on Friday said it will send an advisory to all states to take precautionary steps to check crime against women in the wake of the murder.
"The Ministry of Home Affairs will send an advisory to all states as a precautionary measure so that no such incident takes place in future," Reddy told reporters outside Parliament.
NCW Takes Cognisance
Chairperson of National Commission for Women (NCW) Rekha Sharma strongly condemned the incident and has vouched for maximum punishment for the perpetrators. She announced on Twitter that a person from NCW has already been sent to meet the grieving family. An inquiry committee has also been set up by NCW.
NCW has taken suo motu cognisance of this matter.
Meanwhile, the police has instructed the public, especially women, to make use of the emergency number in case of tyre punctures during odd hours. The press release also asks senior citizens to seek assistance in case of vehicle break down.
Twitter Condemns Incident
A hashtag is also trending on Twitter with many social media users condemning the brutal incident and demanding capital punishment for the culprits.
(With inputs from Indian Express, PTI and ANI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)