SEVEN years after Nirbhaya case which led to country wide outrage and condemnation, another such ghastly incident took place on the night of November 27, in the outskirts of Hyderabad, taking the nation by shock. A 26 year old woman veterinary doctor working in Kolluru village of Telangana was brutally gang raped and murdered by four youth. 

It has been reported that the woman was returning to her house in Nagarkurnool district at 9.30 pm that night when her two-wheeler tyre got punctured on the way at Shamshabad in the outskirts of Hyderabad. A few lorry drivers and mechanics, all in their early twenties, in the pretence of offering help, abducted and raped her at a secluded place. Later, they carried her to a different place and set her afire.

The victim’s family members said that the concerned police delayed filing a report saying that the case did not belong to their jurisdiction, when they reported her missing. After much delay, the police got into action and found her burnt body during the early hours the next day. 

It is later learnt that the victim had phoned her younger sister from a toll plaza at Shamshabad at around 9.20 pm on November 27 and said that she gave her vehicle to a man who took it to a mechanic shop. She also expressed fear and asked her to stay on line. Later, the phone was switched off. 

The Hyderabad Commissioner of Police Sajjanar said that the crime was planned and committed by the gang. The gang punctured the tyre when the woman parked the vehicle. In the night when she came to collect her vehicle they misled her and pretended to help her and committed this crime.  According to the CP, they were consuming alcohol from the morning. The accused are in custody and are at Chevella jail.

The state committee of CPI(M) expressed shock over the incident and condemned the lack of security for women. The committee demanded that the culprits should be arrested forthwith and punished severely. CPI(M) state secretary Veerabhadram expressed anxiety that four murders have taken place in the suburbs of Hyderabad in the last nine months. According to crime branch reports, the Telugu states are on top of the charts of crime against women. He demanded more patrol by police and gender sensitisation programmes. People all over the country are outraged and are protesting voluntarily in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and other places. There was discussion in both houses of parliament for 40 minutes.

After this ghastly murder, a Party delegation including Ch Seetharamulu, Julakanti Ranga Reddy, T Jyothi and other distrct  party representatives visited the victim’s house and expressed  condolences.  On December 1, condemning the murder, there was human chain programme with hundreds of people participating, near Sundarayya Vignana Kendram.  In this programme, Polit Bureau member, BV Raghavulu,  T Veerabhadram, state secretary, state and district leaders, and mass organisation leaders participated, demanding severe punishment to the culprits and enhanced security measures for women, especially in the city outskirts.