Fearing mob lynching, police hide accused in buses while shifting to jail

Hyderabad: Telangana police were forced to hide the four rapists while shifting them out of Shadnagar police station to Cherlapally Central jail, fearing mob lynching.

Hours into the judicial proceeding, the Shadnagar police produced the four accused before the local Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) Pandu Naik on November 29. The accused were remanded for 14 days and shifted to Cherlapally Central Jail in Hyderabad at around 4.30pm on Saturday.

High tension prevailed as the Cyberabad police prepared to shift the four criminals to the central jail. In a meticulously planned move, the police used three buses to confuse the crowd about the exact whereabouts of the criminals. Shields and lathis in the buses effectively concealed the criminals from public view, preventing further provocation. The angry crowds were held back with ropes and barricades at places. However, a stone was thrown at one of the buses while the police were shifting the rapists.

The accused were assigned VVIP security at Cherlapally, where also protests were held.

Women turn out in large numbers

It was not a normal day for people in Shadnagar. As they stood for hours to catch a glimpse of the accused in the vet doctor’s murder case, the police hid them in three buses while transporting them to Cherlapally jail, fearing public backlash. The four accused are Mohammed Areef, Jollu Naveen, Jollu Shiva and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu.

In what can be considered as one of the major protests in the history of Shadnagar, people had come out in hundreds to condemn the gang-rape and murder of the veterinarian in Hyderabad. In the highly charged atmosphere, the police brandished lathis at the anguished crowd to keep the situation under control.

Intermittent scuffles erupted between the police and protestors as they tried to cross the barricades erected by police and enter the police station. Turning impatient at the no-show for a long time, several protestors threw chappals at the station.

Emotions were running high as scores of people, from all parts of Shadnagar, had assembled to protest against the murder of the 26-year old woman. Numerous women, from different villages, stood in front of the Shadnagar police station in protest. Furious at the criminals, a woman said, “The doctor is like one of us, like a daughter to me. Leave the accused to us, we will handle them. They deserve the highest punishment. We need to see their faces and give them what they deserve. Several women had come to the protest site with their babies, and stood in the scorching heat from morning till evening.

Most of the people stood for hours, demanding death by hanging or leaving the rapists to the public. "We want justice", they screamed at the top of their voices. Both men and women, came out of their jobs for the day and sat in front of Shadnagar police station. The whole town observed a voluntary shutdown.

Crowds kept trickling in towards Shadnagar from early morning, intensifying protests towards evening. The entire Shadnagar populace assembled at the police station and spilled on to the roads. However, after the accused were shifted to the jail in the evening, it was business as usual in Shadnagar town, as crowds dispersed immediately.