HYDERABAD: The police resorted to lathi-charge as the protesters seemed determined to take law into their own hands outside the Shadnagar police station on Saturday, where the four persons accused of raping and murdering the 26-year-old veterinarian have been lodged.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Shadnagar jail demanding that the accused be executed.
Many raised slogans that the accused should be “encountered” rather than be provided legal remedy, as per law. From early morning on Saturday, protesters started gathering outside the police station and the numbers of activists kept swelling as people from nearby localities joined them, even as the police were gearing up to shift the accused from Shadnagar police station to local court.
As the number of protesters increased, the police deployed additional forces to handle the situation.
The protesting masses even tried to enter into the police station with an intention to assault the accused.
After repeated appeals and warnings to the protesters, the police used force to disperse the crowd and resorted to lathi-charge to ensure safe passage for the accused to be transported to the Cherlapally jail as they are remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
Due to law and order problems and as there was a possible threat to the lives of the accused if brought outside the police station, the police instead of taking the accused for a medical examination to a local hospital, asked a medical officer to come to the station.
Even the magistrate who ordered judicial custody had to be brought to the police station rather than the accused being presented in front of him as it is usually done.
When the accused had to be finally taken to the Cherlapally jail, the police had to take them in a convoy. The protesters chased the police convoy and hurled stones and footwear on the vehicle in which accused were being transported. Some obstructed the flow of the vehicles by laying siege to the convoy.
Armed personnel in riot gear had to protect the vehicle in which the accused were seated, by marching along with the vehicle.
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NCW rebukes police
Condemning the heinous and gruesome crime, Shyamala S Kundar, member, National Commission for Women, said police officers who asked victim’s parents to run from one jurisdiction to another should be taken action against.
Hawk Eye gets more downloads
With police intensifying campaign on social media about Hawk Eye app and dial 100, the app is being downloaded by many people and the number of calls asking for help to dial 100 also increased.
Dial 100 received as many as 80 calls from the limits of three police commissionerates.
Protests erupt across Telangana
Several student groups conducted protests in Hyderabad demanding death penalty for the four accused. Rallies and candlelight marches were organised by students of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, PV Narsimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University, Osmania University and by students organisations —ABVP and SFI.
Meanwhile, speaking to media persons in Khammam, CPI state joint secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should take responsibility for the continuous attacks on women.
The CPI joint secretary, taking a dig at KCR said that though all political leaders and people of different sections of the society condemned the horrifying murder, the chief minister till now has not responded on the incident which goes on to show his callous attitude towards women.
In Adilabad, several women organisations and students held rallies. The protesters, demanded the State to punish the culprits without any delay.
Several students staged a demonstration on roads across Warangal district and burnt effigies of the rapists.
Speaking to media, district ABVP convenor K Jayasri said that there is no security of women across the State and urged the police to take initiatives to stop increasing crimes against women.
Students in Sangareddy district took out a candlelight vigil demanding the accused to be hanged. Various political parties and voluntary organisations also conducted protest in Nalgonda district. NSUI activists staged rasta roko at Alair town
Tamilisai says case will be fast-tracked
Telangana governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday visited the house of the veterinarian who was raped and murdered at Shadnagar and consoled the bereaved family members.
The governor expressed shock and grief over the ghastly incident. She ensured the family members that the investigation in the case will be completed soon and will be referred to a fast track court so that the culprits can be punished in the earliest possible time.
She said that lapses in the system, if any, will be identified and rectified to instil confidence among women.