Indian police said on December 6 that four suspects suspected of gang rape and burning the body of a 27-year-old female veterinarian tried to grab a gun and attack the police during the identification of the crime scene, and were shot by the police.
The rape and murder shocked Indian society, and some people held a celebration after learning that the suspect had been killed.
Police said the four men had been detained for a week and were shot dead on Friday while trying to escape during a crime scene in the southern city of Hyderabad, Reuters reported.
Prakash Reddy, deputy commissioner of the Sharm Sabad Police Station near Hyderabad, said: "Between 6am and 6.30am, we took the suspect to the crime scene for identification, but the suspect tried to grab the weapon and there was an exchange of fire. All 4 people died. Two police officers were injured. ”
The four suspects were: mohammad areef (wearing a yellow T-shirt), Jollu Shiva (wearing a white shirt), Jollu Naveen (wearing a blue shirt) and chintakunta chennakeshavulu (wearing an orange shirt).
Four suspects were charged with rape, murder and burning the body of the victim, Priyanka Reddy. Priyanka, a 27-year-old veterinarian, broke down on her scooter on her way to work on November 23 and stopped near a highway toll booth.
Police said the men deflated her motorcycle tires and promised to repair the vehicle for her. They then took her to a secluded place near the toll booth, raped and suffocated her between parked trucks.
The body was then trucked to an under-bridge culvert and burned with kerosene. Meanwhile, one of the suspects took the motorcycle and abandoned it on the side of the road in the suburb of Kotur.
The case has aroused public concern in India, with demonstrators demanding severe punishment for the killer and repeated statements on social media that the suspects have been executed.
In the Indian parliament, one member of parliament demanded that the suspect be "lynched" and another demanded that the rapist be "castrated."
The suspects were scheduled to identify two crime scenes on December 6, namely the site of the gang rape and the burning site about 500 meters away.
On that day, hundreds of people flocked to the scene of the death of the four suspects, set off firecrackers to celebrate and sprinkle flower petals on the police.
The victim's family also welcomed the killing of the suspect. Priyanka's sister, Bavia, told local television: "I am delighted that the four suspects have been killed and thank the police and the media for their support. ”
Activists, however, accuse the government of "arbitrary use of violence" to avoid accountability. Lawyer Vrinda Grover told AFP: "This is absolutely unacceptable and the police must be held accountable. Instead of investigating and prosecuting, the State is committing murders to distract the public and avoid accountability. ”
On the evening of 16 December 2012, six men, including a minor, gang-raped and severely beat a 23-year-old medical school girl on an unlicensed bus in New Delhi, India, killing the victim. The incident shocked the world, triggering mass demonstrations in several Indian cities and setting off a national discussion of women's rights.
According to the latest government figures, more than 32,000 rapes were reported in 2017, with an average of one every 20 minutes. Experts say rape cases are largely unreported and the actual number should be higher.
At the same time, the backlog of cases in india's extremely inefficient judicial process means that many victims and their families have to wait for years to convict attackers.
Compiled/written by: Nandu reporter Shi Minglei
Image credit: Reuters, Sott