Hyderabad seethes at rape, murder of veterinarian

The brutal rape and murder of a veterinary doctor on the outskirts of Hyderabad has sent shock waves across the country.

What is deeply disturbing is that the victim almost had a premonition of her fate at a spot that has visible vehicular traffic most of the time. Even under such circumstances, the crime could not be prevented. The 26-year-old victim was last seen near a toll gate in Tondapally, around 10km from the international airport in Shamshabad. She had to go to Gachibowli, an IT hub, located to the west of Hyderabad.

Since the Outer Ring Road that leads to the city does not allow two-wheelers, the victim parked her vehicle near the toll gate on Wednesday evening and took a share cab. According to local residents, it is a common practice for commuters and others to leave their two-wheelers in the area if they want to go into the city. The victim returned to the toll gate to take her vehicle and go home to Shamshabad, 12km away.

According to police sources, the back tyre of the victim’s vehicle might have been deflated intentionally during the time she was not around.

After 9pm on Wednesday, the victim realised that she could not ride her vehicle from the spot and called her sister. In the audio clip that is out in the public domain, the victim is heard crying and telling her sister that she is scared for herself. Her sister advised her to take a cab and come home or stand near the toll booth. The victim even told her sister that she is worried with the way people around her were behaving.

It is not clear whether a stranger forcibly took her two-wheeler to repair the flat tyre or she voluntarily gave it to him, but she shared the news to her sister about the incident. After that conversation, the victim's mobile phone was found switched off by the family members in around half-an-hour. Her parents, along with her younger sister, searched for the victim near the toll gate and lodged a police complaint.

In the early hours of Thursday, her body was found half-burnt under a culvert in Shadnagar, almost 30km away from the toll gate. The police and the family members identified the body. Her clothes and other belongings were found at an isolated area near the toll plaza. Her two-wheeler was found between Shadnagar and the toll gate. According to a preliminary forensic report, the victim was raped and murdered.

According to police officials, the suspects were lorry drivers as a number of them park their vehicles near the toll gate waiting to enter the city post-night. Alcohol bottles found near the belongings of the victim also led to police to believe that the crime might have been committed by more than one person under the influence of alcohol.

Meanwhile, the victim's family saw a steady stream of visitors including ministers and local politicians. The family members alleged that Cyberabad Police had delayed registering and investigating the case. The victim's mother alleged that had the police acted quickly and dispatched search parties, her daughter could have been found alive.

The Cyberabad police dispatched almost a dozen teams to nab the accused persons. A suspect, Mahmood Pasha, has been picked up by the police and another person is being questioned.

Meanwhile, there is uproar on social media over the incident, with many openly demanding the hanging of those who committed the crime. National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma had also tweeted about the incident and informed the commission was sending a member to Hyderabad to assist the family.