Weeks after protests by family members and civil rights groups seeking speedy justice in the  Asifabad gang-rape and murder case, the Telangana government has set up a special court in Adilabad to begin the trial for the accused.

On November 24, days before Hyderabad veterinarian Disha was gangraped and murdered, a woman hawker, 30-year-old Samata hailing from Nirmal's Khanapur area was also gangraped and murdered allegedly by three men in Lingala mandal of Asifabad district.

This comes after the High Court’s approved a proposal from the government. The Fifth Additional Sessions Court in the Adilabad district was designated as the special court for the trial in the case.

State Law Minister A Indrakaran Reddy said, “The setting up of a special court would ensure that they case will be heard on a daily basis and will result in speedy disposal of the case.”

Police arrested Shaik Babu (35), Shaik Shaboddin (30) and Shaik Mukdum (40) on the day of the incident. They have been remanded to judicial custody. Last week, the police sought custody of the three accused in order to collect DNA samples to send to the Forensic Laboratory in Hyderabad.

The rape and murder of Disha had sparked widespread protests across the country. The government had set up a fast-track court to begin the trial for the four accused in the case, but they were shot dead by police in an encounter in the early hours of December 6.

Protests also erupted in Asifabad and parts of erstwhile Adilabad following the Samata case. Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) led by Manda Krishna Madiga had protested stating that the government had ignored delivering justice to the victim since she belonged to the Dalit community.

Last week, the victim’s husband told TNM that the government and media had not pay enough attention to the incident, alleging caste bias.

In another case, a girl was raped and killed allegedly by her boyfriend in Warangal district last month, and civil rights groups as well as her family had demanded justice.