Telangana encounter: The police said the four accused tried run from the site
The BJP in Telangana has said it will "as a responsible party" ask the state government and the police to address the media on the killing of four men accused of raping and murdering a 26-year-old veterinarian.
The four accused were taken to the same spot where they allegedly raped and burned the body of the 26-year-old veterinarian, off a highway near Hyderabad, to reconstruct the sequence of events. The police said the accused tried to escape and even attacked them. They were shot dead.
"Gang rape and murder is a horrendous crime, BJP has condemned it, and as a responsible opposition party has also pressured the Telangana state government to act and bring the accused to justice," Telangana BJP spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao said in a statement.
"However, India is not a banana republic and is bound by legal and constitutional framework. Politics over crime cannot set a right precedence. Telangana state government and DGP should call a press conference immediately," the BJP said. "As a responsible national party BJP will react only after official police statement," it said.
Other BJP leaders, however, have tweeted congratulating the Telangana Police. Opinion is also divided over the killing with some former police officers saying the police in the southern state have done the right thing, and others including lawyers warning of setting a precedent that may bring harm in the long run.
"I congratulate the Hyderabad police and the leadership that allows the police to act like police. Let all know this is the country where good will always prevail over evil (Disclaimer for holier than thou - police acted swiftly in self-defence)," BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore tweeted.
"The four rapists were taken to the same spot where they committed the crime and shot dead there. Natural justice," BJP leader Shaina NC tweeted in Hindu.
"If something of this sort happens, then the culprits should be hanged or killed in an encounter within seven to 15 days. I thank police for the encounter," BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said.
A former police officer suggested public anger had left the police with little choice. "Although it's totally unprofessional, but I think this was what was expected. I knew something like this was going to happen," said Swaranjit Sen, a former Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh.
Lawyer Vrinda Grover denounced the police shooting and said an FIR must be filed. "This is absolutely unacceptable. We don't want this form of trigger happy justice. There must be an independent judicial enquiry into this 'encounter'. There must be accountability of the police," said Ms Grover.