Indian police have shot dead four men accused of the gang rape and killing of a 27-year-old woman in Hyderabad that sparked nationwide protests, police said on Friday.
The victim’s father welcomed the news of the killing of the alleged perpetrators.
He said, “It has been 10 days to the day my daughter died. I express my gratitude towards the police & govt for this. My daughter’s soul must be at peace now.”
The charred body was found on November 28, in the town of Shadnagar, about 50km (31 miles) from Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana state.
She had gone missing the night before. Her body, which was found in an underpass by someone walking by, had been wrapped in a blanket and doused with kerosene.
Police said the suspects allegedly offered to fix a flat tyre on her motorbike and took her in a truck to a secluded spot where the crime was committed.
On Saturday, November 30, thousands of protesters gathered outside a police station, demanding the four be handed over to them.
The chief minister of the state had promised to fast-track the case as protesters and legislators demanded tough and quick punishments, including public lynchings.
The men were killed while trying to escape during a re-enactment of the crime staged in the middle of the night.
Prakash Reddy, a deputy commissioner of police in Hyderabad said, “They were killed in crossfire. They tried to snatch weapons from the guards but were shot dead.”
“We called an ambulance but they died before any medical help could reach them.”
The All India Progressive Women’s association condemned the manner in which the accused men died.
The association said, “We, as a country, will now be told that ‘justice’ has been done, the victim avenged … But this justice is counterfeit.”
The group said, “we can’t ensure the streets are safe, can’t investigate crimes against women to ensure there’s enough evidence to prove guilt, can’t protect rape survivors, can’t ensure that survivors get dignity in court.”
Many Indians express satisfaction with the actions of the police on social media, with some describing it as “quick justice”.
Asha Devi, the mother of the woman who died in the notorious 2012 gang rape on a bus in Delhi, told Indian media she was “extremely happy with this punishment. The police have done a great job and I demand that no action should be taken against the police personnel.”
“Finally … the brutes deserved it for the inhuman horrific crime they committed,” wrote the actor Nikhil Sihhhartha.
>Juthy Saha
