27-Year-Old Female Vet Killed, Set Ablaze Near Hyderabad, Cops Suspect Gang Rape

The charred body of a 27-year-old female veterinarian was found under a culvert near Hyderabad on Thursday, a day after she went missing, police said.

Members of the victims family, who had filed a missing complaint after she did not return home by 10.20 pm on Wednesday, identified the body, police said.

The police suspect the girl, before being burnt, was gang-raped and then strangulated to death.

While the alleged crime took place near the Tondupally toll plaza in Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad, her body was dumped and burnt 25 km away at the Chatanpally Bridge in the Ranga Reddy district.

The Cyberabad Police has picked up four suspects in connection with the case and those detained include a truck driver and a cleaner. 

The National Commission for Women has also constituted an inquiry committee to probe the case.

NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said in a tweet that the women's panel would not "leave any stone unturned" till the perpetrators get the punishment they deserve.

According to the police, the victim had called her sister around 9.45 p.m. saying that her 2-wheeler vehicle, parked at Shamshabad toll plaza, was punctured and somebody has offered to help her. They had promised to take her vehicle for repair. 

The sister, however, did mention to the police that she felt the victim was feeling threatened by some truck drivers standing nearby.

The victim's sister had advised her to leave the vehicle, go to the toll plaza and return home by a cab. However, when the sister later called her back, her mobile phone was switched off.

Investigations revealed that the victim had left her house in Shamshabad for Kolluru village to attend duty at the veterinary hospital. She returned in the evening at the toll plaza, parked her scooty nearby and took a cab to go to Gachibowli to visit a dermatologist.

When she returned to the same place around 9 p.m,  she found the two-wheeler punctured.

Police suspect the vehicle was deliberately punctured by the culprits to trap the victim.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar said that ten teams have been formed to crack the case.

He said police were verifying CCTV footage and suspect involvement of least two persons behind the woman's disappearance.

In a letter to Sajjanar, NCW's chairperson has said the commission is disturbed by the reported incident and is seriously concerned about the safety and security of women.

"The National Commission for Women is constituting an Inquiry Committee headed by a Member, NCW to inquire into the matter. Considering the gravity of the matter, I request you to kindly investigate and take appropriate action in the matter," Sharma said in the letter.

A detailed action taken report may be sent to the commission at an early date, Sharma said.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said he has been in regular touch with officials of the Telangana government so that those who were involved in the woman's murder are caught and punished.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs will send an advisory to all states as a precautionary measure so that no such incident takes place in future," he told reporters outside Parliament.

Reddy said the culprit should be arrested and given capital punishment.

"On behalf of the central government, I am talking to the state government officials. The Telangana DGP is also coming to Delhi today and he will meet me. Those who were involved in the crime should be socially boycotted and no lawyer should represent them," he said.