The four men accused in the gangrape and murder of Hyderabad veterinary doctor Disha were shot dead in an reported encounter by police on Friday. The accused - Areef, Shiva, Naveen and Chennakeshavulu - were taken to Chatanpally village (the crime spot) under Shadnagar police station allegedly for evidence collection and scene reconstruction. Police claim that they killed them as they tried to take one of the guns and flee.
Soon after the news came out, a large number of people gathered at the crime spot on Friday morning, raising slogans lauding the police.
Echoing popular sentiment, CPI National Secretary K Narayana supported the "encounter" and said, "We are happy that the police murdered the killers of Disha. To prevent such crimes, these actions are unavoidable. It is true that there would be law and problems if such actions are taken, but to prevent such brutal crimes these killings are necessary. We offer complete support."
With the police yet to make a statement, the Telangana BJP said that they will give a response only after clarification from police. But added, "India is not a banana republic and is bound by legal and constitutional framework. Politics over crime, cannot set a right precedence."
The family of the 27-year-old veterinarian, Disha*, also supported the encounter stating that it was 'justice' to them.
Disha’s father told the media, “It has been 10 days to the day my daughter died. I express my gratitude towards the police and government for this. My daughter's soul must be at peace now.”
Rekha Sharma, National Commission for Women on #Telangana encounter: As a common citizen I am feeling happy that this was the end we all wanted for them. But this end was supposed to be through the legal system. It should have happened through proper channels.
Not just Disha's parents, Nirbhaya's mother too supported the "encounter." Several Tollywood celebrties like Nagarjuna, Rakul Preet Singh, Jr NTR, Lakshmi Manchu, Manchu Manoj joined in to say that "justice was served."
ఊరికి ఒక్కడే రౌడీ ఉండాలి
— Nani (@NameisNani) December 6, 2019
వాడు పోలీసోడు అయ్యుండాలి#Disha
JUSTICE SERVED! Now, Rest In Peace Disha.
— Jr NTR (@tarak9999) December 6, 2019
This morning I wake up to the news and JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED!! #Encounter
— Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) December 6, 2019
How far can you run away after committing a crime like Rape .. #JusticeForPriyankaReddy #Encounter thankyou #Telangana police
— Rakul Singh (@Rakulpreet) December 6, 2019
I do NOT feel bad. I was always against capital punishment but I've changed my mind over the years. Rapists MUST hang! Thank you kcr garu for standing as an example to our nation and showing respect to women! @RaoKavitha @KTRTRS pic.twitter.com/DdXrDmyzSJ
— Lakshmi Manchu (@LakshmiManchu) December 6, 2019
ఆ బుల్లెట్టు దాచుకోవాలని వుంది
— MM* (@HeroManoj1) December 6, 2019
ఆ తుపాకులకు దండం పెట్టాలని వుంది.
ఆ పోలీసుల కాళ్ళు మొక్కాలని వుంది.
నలుగురు చచ్చారు అనే వార్త లో ఇంత కిక్కు వుందా..??
ఈ రోజే నే ఆత్మ దేవుడ్ని చేరింది చెల్లెమ్మా..! #JusticeForDisha #Disha #justiceforpriyanakareddy pic.twitter.com/qQ05yD9mo3
Independent MP Navneet Rana:Being a mother, a daughter and a wife, I welcome this(Telangana encounter),or else they would be in jail for years. Nirbhaya ka naam bhi nirbhaya nahi tha, logon ne naam diya tha,mujhe lagta hai use naam dene ke bajaye inhe aisa anjaam dena zaruri hai pic.twitter.com/Tjl51Bj1sv
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2019
Kanumuru Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, YSR Congress Party on #Telangana encounter: They deserved to be shot dead. God has been kind that they were shot dead, this is a good lesson. They tried to run away&they were killed. No NGO should oppose it & if they do so, they are anti-national pic.twitter.com/dl56IVBn6Y
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2019
Meanwhile, noted Supreme Court advocate Karuna Nundy slamming the "encounter" said, "Now nobody will ever know if the four men killed by the police were innocent men, arrested fast to show action. And whether four of the most brutal rapists roam free, to rape and kill more women."
Now nobody will ever know if the four men killed by the police were innocent men, arrested fast to show action. And whether four of the most brutal rapists roam free, to rape and kill more women.#EncounterNight #Encounter https://t.co/LEXxSKWzre
— Karuna Nundy (@karunanundy) December 6, 2019
Agree in principle. We need to know more, for instance if the criminals were armed, the police may have been justified in opening fire preemptively. Until details emerge we should not rush to condemn. But extra-judicial killings are otherwise unacceptable in a society of laws. https://t.co/BOMOjCYrb1
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 6, 2019
Violent masculinity cannot be solved by violent masculinity. It will become worse. That's why people who have devoted their lives to women's rights are against capital punishment, while men who pretend to be so against rape issue us rape threats/wishes for our views.
— Mihira Sood (@mihira_sood) December 6, 2019
BJP MP Maneka Gandhi on Telangana encounter: Jo bhi hua hai bohot bhayanak hua hai is desh ke liye, you cannot kill people because you want to. You cannot take law in your hands, they(accused) would have been hanged by Court anyhow pic.twitter.com/4in4sBMJDp
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2019
Locals bring flowers to the Hyderabad #encounter site. Could there be anything more symbolic of public faith in judiciary being extinct? Especially when it comes to rape. The atmosphere was ripe for what happened today. pic.twitter.com/fJKDDZkVFZ
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) December 6, 2019
Encounter of four rapists by Telangana police may be an act of self defence but the jubilation surrounding it suggests collapse of our collective faith in the criminal justice system as much as politics of netas who normalise rapes by offering sewing machine and cash to rapists..
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 6, 2019
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on #Telangana encounter: It is also something to be worried about, the way people have lost their faith in the criminal justice system. Together all the governments will have to take action on how to strengthen criminal justice system. 2/2 https://t.co/bDXkXqnRS7 pic.twitter.com/oDZDeretFh
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2019