The four men who were accused in the Telangana veterinary surgeon's rape and murder case were shot dead by police on Friday morning. As the news broke, the dramatic turn of events evoked praises from all corners of the country and also invited concerns over the alleged extra-judicial killings.
The accused were killed by the Cyberabad Police a few days after they raped and killed a 26-year-old woman. The Telangana doctor's charred body was found on Thursday morning (November 28) under a culvert in Chatanpally on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway.
The rape and murder of the Telangana doctor had sparked nationwide protests. All the four accused - Mohammad Areef, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen, and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu - were arrested from their homes on Friday.
Within a week of their arrest, all the four accused were shot dead. While the police have maintained that the accused had tried to flee when they were taken to the crime spot to recreate the crime scene, some have refused to buy the story.
Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court has directed the state government to preserve the bodies of four accused in the rape and murder of a young veterinarian till 8 PM on December 9.
ALL FOUR ACCUSED IN TELANGANA RAPE-MURDER CASE SHOT DEAD
In a pre-dawn event on Friday, all four accused in the rape and murder of the veterinarian were shot dead by police.
The shooting took place between 5:45 AM and 6:15 AM when they were taken by a 10-member team to the scene of the crime at Chattanpalli for a reconstruction of events as part of the investigation.
According to the police, the accused were killed when they allegedly snatched weapons from the police and tried to escape. Soon after the event took place, Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar and other senior officials rushed to the scene.
FAMILIES OF ACCUSED IN SHOCK
Renuka, the wife of one of the four accused, Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu, said the police should take her to the spot where her husband was killed and should kill her as well.
"I was told nothing will happen to my husband and he would come back soon. Now, I don't know what to do. Please take me to the place where my husband was killed and kill me also," she told reporters.
The prime accused, Mohammed Areef's mother was at a loss for words and could only say "my son is gone".
Jollu Ramappa father of Jollu Shiva said his son might have committed the crime but didn't deserve such an end. "Many people commit rapes and murders. But they were not killed like this. Why they were not meted out such a treatment," Ramappa said.