As thousands of people took to social media to share the news of the 'encounter' with the four men accused of raping and murdering the Hyderabad veterinarian, a fake photo of the shootout scene with three to four dead bodies scattered was also circulated widely.
Even as netizens congratulated the police saying the encounter was "justified," the photo of the bodies also did the rounds on social media with people claiming it was from the site of the shootout.
On conducting a fact check on Google, it was found that the picture dates back to April 2015 when 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu were allegedly killed in an encounter by the Andhra Pradesh police in the Seshachalam forests in Chittoor district.
The woodcutters who were found felling red sanders were asked by officials to surrender but instead hurled stones and sickles at the team which forced the cops to fire shots at them in self-defence.
The state police had killed the four accused in the Hyderabad vet's rape and murder during an exchange of fire on Friday morning at the same spot where her charred body was found nearly ten days ago.
Apart from messages of appreciation, the incident also triggered ire from many who said that it was "unacceptable" and a breach of human rights which will make people lose trust in the judicial system.
The shootout comes days after the veterinarian was brutally gang-raped and killed by four men who burned her body in Shamshabad area on the night of November 27. Her charred body was recovered on November 28.