Jubilee Hills gang-rape: BJP questions delay in arresting accused; seeks CBI probe

Hyderabad: BJP leaders of Telangana, including former MLC N. Ramchender Rao, state party general secretary Bangaru Shruthi, and ex-MLA N.V.S.S Prabhakar, have written to the director-general of police regarding the Jubilee Hills gang-rape case. They raised questions about the delay in arresting the accused persons and sought a CBI probe into the case.

The BJP leaders said that the incident took place in broad daylight which further points to the brazenness with which culprits have been resorting to such inhuman incidents. "While the incident deserves unequivocal condemnation, it is also important to ensure that all those involved in the crime, directly and indirectly, should be brought to book to ensure that such incidents would not recur in future," the letter read.

"Further, there are media reports pointing to the delay on the part of the police in both registering the case and nabbing the accused in spite of the abundant availability of CCTV footage and other clues. The delay that the police have shown in arresting the identified accused as per the confession made by the victim gives room for suspicion," the BJP leaders said.

While the police have named one of the apprehended juveniles as someone related to a political party, the BJP alleged that the reports suggest the involvement of the son of a sitting MLA from the MIM. They said that the BJP does not, at this point in time, claim that he was actually involved, but given the seriousness of the situation, to conclude prima facie that he is not part of the crime would be too premature.

"Media reports and footage clearly point to a systematic and organized orchestration of the crime. It is unfortunate that Hyderabad is increasingly becoming a haven for such incidents. Things are happening due to the laxity of the police force in auditing pubs and restaurants…It is evident that the incident in question happened on 27 May 2022 and the police took five days to register the crime, which gives suspicion that there is an attempt to obfuscate the facts," the BJP spokespersons said.

They requested the case be transferred to the CBI as the matter is sensitive and involves people in power. A dispassionate investigation by the CBI will unravel the facts and go a long way in sending the message that such incidents will not be tolerated and culprits, however big they may be, will be punished as per the law, said the BJP leaders.