BHOPAL: City women voiced out their happiness on the killing of all the four accused in the rape and murder of a women veterinarian in Hyderabad on Friday. All the four accused were shot by the Hyderabad police in an alleged encounter on Friday morning.
Expressing their views to the Free Press, they said that the men were served what they deserved. Some of them, however, even said that extra-judicial killings were not acceptable. Quoting the largely acclaimed Unnao rape case, accusing a BJP MLA of raping and attempting to murder a 17-year-old girl, they questioned as to why only the poor are killed in encounters and not politically influential people.
Babita Niranjan, doctor: It’s an excellent answer to those who feel that they can go scot free after committing such a shameful crime. The dirty-minded, insane rapists will learn a lesson and they will always think twice before committing such a crime. Whether they are adults or juveniles is of no consequence.
Shalini Malaviya, artist: I study in the Hyderabad Central University and I feel safe in that city. The reason is that the police there are very strict. What has happened is good. I am happy that within 48 hours of their arrest, they were killed. They had accepted their guilt. If they were trying to flee, what could the police have done? Had they managed to escape, the police would have been blamed.
Asma Khan, social activist: If we, as a nation, have decided to punish criminals through encounters then let us dismantle the courts and the judicial system. There are many holes in the police story. Will encounters stop rapes? There were seven accused in the Kathua rape case. Later, one was them was acquitted. Had all of them been killed in an encounter, wouldn’t an innocent man have lost his life?
Gowthami Gogineni, medical student: According to me, this is the right thing. If you will go to the courts, the case will drag on for years. If they had indeed committed the crime then the Telangana police have done the right thing. Why should we keep them in jail and feed them?
Priyanka Tripathi, software engineer: As you sow, so shall you reap, is an old saying. They have got what they deserved. This will instill fear in the hearts of the criminals. The culprits of Nirbhaya case are still alive and they are petitioning the President for pardon! We all know what the accused in the Unnao case did after being released from jail.
Kanak Pushkarna, dental student: The rapist-murderers have got what they deserved. The encounter was a great thing. I don’t know whether it will curb rapes or not but at least something is happening. Otherwise, nothing moves in our country. I welcome the killing of the men.
Pinky Verma, housewife: They should not have been shot. Instead, their private parts should have been crushed and their limbs should have been severed in public. We should have the penal system that pertains in Saudi Arabia. They deserved an extremely painful death.
Kirti Khanna, media student: I feel the encounter was planned. If they were criminals, they should have been put on trial. The police have chosen to find an easy way. The policemen do not have right to take law into their own hands. If our country had a robust judicial system, such an incident would not have taken place.
