OD-ENCOUNTER MINISTER

Odisha law minister says "nothing wrong" with Hyderabad Police
action
    Bhubaneswar, Dec 6 (PTI) Odisha's Law Minister Pratap
Jena said on Friday that the Hyderabad Police did "nothing
wrong" in killing the four persons arrested in connection with
the rape and murder of a woman veterinarian.
    Noting that the four deserved stringent punishment,
the Law Minister said the human rights activists may say
something, but the fact remained that they (accused persons)
were involved in most heinous crime.
    "I think, there is nothing wrong committed by the
Hyderabad Police. The four persons accused in a heinous crime,
were killed while trying to escape. This is my personal view,"
Jena told reporters at Lok Seva Bhawan here.
    "There are countries where the culprits of such crimes
are beheaded. In our country, such criminals should be given
stringent punishment," the minister said.
    The opposition BJP and the Congress also hailed the
Hyderabad police action.
    "I thank the Hyderabad Police for performing their
duties in letter and spirit. Their action was under the ambit
of the law. There is provision under the law to kill the
criminals trying to escape from the judicial custody," said
BJP spokesman Golak Mohapatra.
    He, however, criticised the Odisha government over the
rising crimes against women in the state.
    Senior Congress MLA and former minister Suresh Routray
also hailed the Hyderabad Police.
    "The criminals of such crimes should be given
punishments like in Hyderabad incident. Similar action should
be taken by Odisha Police," Routray.
    Human rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo condemned the
rape and murder of the woman in Hyderabad but did not accept
the police action.
    "It (encounter) may be an attempt to cover up police
inefficiency. Adopting shot cut method to punish the culprits
may pose danger to the judicial system and human rights. There
should be a neutral investigation into the police encounter,"
Kanungo said.
    The people belonging to different walks of life
including women, girls, men, senior citizens and intellectuals
across the state welcomed the Hyderabad police action.
    Others, however, said that the justice should come in
proper manner and not in an "accidental" manner. "Rapists
should be hanged to death as per law in a time bound manner,"
said a city based woman lecturer.
    "Instead of depending on court verdict and lingering
the trial in such cases, there must be a legal provision in
India for expeditious trial to punish these accused," the
minister said. PTI AAM
SBN SBN

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)