Mumbai:
Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil has said that the Keenan and Reuben case will be sent to a fast track court to ensure speedy justice amid mounting criticism over the brutal manner in which the two were attacked by goons as a crowd of people watched unmoved.
The government is also open to the appointment of a special public prosecutor in case the victims' families want it.
Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandes were attacked by a bunch of goons outside a popular eatery in Amboli on October 20 and died of multiple stab injuries after they tried to fight away eve-teasers. The two tried to shield their female friends from a group of eve-teasers after they came out following dinner at the eatery in Andheri (West). The eve-teasers retreated, only to return with over a dozen others and launch a brutal assault on Keenan and Reuben.
What's sparked outrage is the claim by friends of the deceased that a crowd of people watched as the two were being attacked but nobody helped.
Keenan's 19-year-old friend has said she could see a large crowd of eyewitnesses who just stood around unmoved despite cries for help while Keenan and Reuben were being attacked. She has also accused the police of failing to respond to her calls for help when she dialed 100.
The victims' families and friends have been fighting for justice and groups on social networking sites have come out with strong demands for firm action against the guilty. Relatives of the victims have also expressed apprehensions about their own safety.