Police seek 10-day custody of the accused in vet rape-murder case

The police filed the petition in a court here on Monday, seeking 10-day custody of the four accused arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a woman veterinary doctor. The veterinarian was brutally gang-raped and killed by four persons before they burnt her body in Shamshabad area last week. The accused were arrested by the Cyberabad Police.

Hyderabad:The Cyberabad Police probing the gang-rape and murder of a 25-year-old woman veterinarian near here moved a court on Monday seeking custody of the four people arrested in connection with the heinous crime for interrogation.

The petition was filed in a court in Mahabubnagar district for custodial interrogation as part of further investigation in the case.

The plea is likely to come up for hearing later on Monday.

Condemning the rape and murder of a woman veterinary doctor in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said that the accused should be severely punished by the court.

Naidu said, "Those persons who committed such heinous crime should be severely punished otherwise criminals will not be afraid of the acts. There must be strict action. Courts should stand firm, should implement the Nirbhaya act amicably. The society and government have the responsibility to see that no such incidents take place."

Earlier in the day, leaders from different political parties raised the issue of the murder and rape of a veterinary doctor in Telangana in Parliament.

The issue was raised in Lok Sabha with the Speaker stating, "The Parliament is worried about the incidents happening across the nation. I have given permission for discussion on this after Question Hour."

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government is prepared to enact the strongest provision in law to check incidents of heinous crimes like the Hyderabad rape and murder case and have a discussion in Parliament on the issue of crime against women.

The four had allegedly raped the woman, who worked as an assistant veterinarian at a state-run hospital and burnt her body on November 27 with the grisly crime coming to light the next day when her charred body was found.

The four men, all lorry workers, aged between 20 and 24, were arrested on November 29 and are lodged in the Cherlapally Central Prison after a court remanded them to 14 days judicial custody.

The incident has triggered nation-wide outrage and protests held at several places demanding stern punishment to the culprits.

Last week, the Mahabubnagar district court Bar Association and also the Ranga Reddy Bar Association have decided not to represent the four accused.

They had said the decision was taken as "a moral and social responsibility" in view of the "heinous crime committed by the accused".