HYDERABAD: Telangana Home Minister Md Mahmood Ali sparked a controversy with his remarks on the gruesome murder of veterinarian on Friday. Speaking to the media after visiting her family at their Shamshabad residence, Mahmood Ali said that instead of calling her sister, she could have called the police by dialling 100 and saved her life.
When media persons objected to his comment, terming it as "insensitive", Mahmood Ali went on the defensive, saying "My intention is not to find fault with her. She is like my daughter and no daughter should be in such a situation. We are taking several measures for the protection of women in the state and several initiatives like SHE teams are also in place," he said.
He further added that all efforts to expedite the investigation would be put in place and the case will be tried by a fast track court. "We will also ensure that the accused gets capital punishment at the earliest, like in the case of the newborn's rape and murder at Warangal in June," he said.
The minister had earlier said that if anybody calls police on 100, help would reach them within three minutes.
Police confirmed that the veterinarian was gang-raped and murdered on Wednesday night near Outer Ring Road at Shamshabad on the city outskirts. Her charred body was found under a culvert near Shadnagar town, about 25 km from Shamshabad.