The horrific details of the Hyderabad rape and murder case that took place on Wednesday has shaken the conscience of the entire society. A 27-year old veterinarian, who was waiting for her two-wheeler to work, was sexually assaulted and killed in a merciless manner on the outskirts of the city. Her charred body was found underneath a culvert at Chatanpally village of Shadnagar Mandal.
The incident took place when the victim was on her way back home. According to Cyberabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, the victim’s family has told the police that she used to ride the two-wheeler from her home to Tondupally toll plaza, park it there and take a cab to her clinic. On Wednesday however, she returned to find a flat tyre, and called her sister at Round 8:20 PM.
The victim’s sister suggested that she take a cab home and leave the two-wheeler at the toll plaza. However, she was approached by two men who offered to take the two-wheeler for repair. The victim agreed, and while waiting for one of the accused to return who had taken away the two-wheeler for repair, she was ambushed merely 50 metres away from the toll plaza. The police held a press conference on Friday evening during which the details of the four arrested in the case were disclosed. The accused have been identified as Mohammed Areef (26), Jollu Shiva (20), Jollu Naveen (20) and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu (20).
The horrifying details of the case have also come to light. The gruesome crime was committed in a pre-planned manner. The accused noticed the victim parking her two-wheeler at the Shamshabad toll plaza on Wednesday. The four accused consumed alcohol and hatched a conspiracy to commit the ghastly crime. One of the accused, Naveen deflated the tyre of the two-wheeler, and when the victim returned to pick up her vehicle, Areef got down from his lorry to tell her that the tyre of the two-wheeler had a puncture. Shiva took away the two-wheeler on the pretext of getting it repaired, and while she was waiting for her two-wheeler, the other three accused- Areef, Naveen and Chennakeshavulu forcibly took the victim to an abandoned room near the toll plaza, where they raped the victim.
While the victim was raped, one of the accused, Areef allegedly put his hand on the victim’s mouth suffocating her. After murdering her, two accused drove away with the body in the lorry, while the other two accused drove around in the victim’s two-wheeler to different petrol bunks collecting petrol in loose bottles. The accused then burnt the victim’s body in the underpass.
The accused have been charged under Section 302 (punishment for murder), Section 376 (punishment for rape and other provisions added by the 2013 Amendment in the Indian Penal Code. Intelligence inputs and CCTV cameras helped the police in cracking the case.
The horrific details of the case and the sheer brutality committed by the accused have naturally brought the issue of women safety into limelight once again. Hyderabad is considered one of the safest cities for women, and if such an incident takes place in the city then it is a matter of grave concern. What further exacerbates this concern is the fact that another charred body has been found by the police from the same area, viz. Shamshabad. As per the police, the modus operandi seems similar to the heinous crime committed on Wednesday. The police also suspect that the same accused were involved in both the cases.
Speaking about the gravity of the case, Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy assured Centre’s assistance in the probe and told ANI: “A veterinary doctor was raped and murdered in Hyderabad. Speaking to State government and Police to get culprits capital punishment. It’s a matter of grave worry that a woman was subjected to such brutality. We’ll give sufficient assistance from the centre where needed.”
The case tarnishes the image of the city of Hyderabad and the sheer brutality with which the offence has been committed has shaken the conscience of the entire nation and has also led to a massive outrage. It is now for the Telangana CM, K. Chandrashekar Rao to step up to the occasion and ensure that the accused are brought to justice promptly to uphold the faith of the people in the law enforcement agencies and the justice administration system. The state government must also take all necessary precautionary measures as such brutality is unacceptable in the society at large.
Entire blame cannot be placed on the government and law enforcement agencies, ordinary citizens should also step up to the occasion and play their role. More often than not, it is seen that ordinary citizens hesitate from coming out to help in cases of such brutality or harassment of women. Even though the details of the present case are somewhat different, a sensitive citizenry can help tackle many crimes at the stage of their preparation or attempt itself. The predominant fear is that one gets unnecessarily involved in police investigation and legal hassles. However, this is nothing more than a myth, and all relevant stakeholders must come out spreading awareness about how it is the duty of every citizen, and not just the police to rescue the potential victim in such cases. There is absolutely nothing to fear about if the police involves someone who comes out to help in the investigation process, it is just a procedure to bring the perpetrators to justice. If the ordinary citizens want a society where women are safe, then they must also bring a marked change in their attitude and ensure that every single such crime which can be potentially prevented with their intervention, is actually prevented.