India: Young vet stranded with punctured tyre raped and murdered, charred body recovered 25 km away hours later
She was suspected to have been raped and murdered by two persons who offered to help her
Hyderabad: The 22-year-old veterinarian, whose charred body was found on Thursday near Shadnagar town, was suspected to have been raped and murdered by two persons who offered to help her punctured two-wheeler repaired.
Priyanka Reddy is suspected to have been killed near Tondupally toll plaza of Outer Ring Road at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad and her body was dumped and burnt 25 km away at Chatanpally bridge near Shadnagar town in Ranga Reddy district.
Gathering more clues in the case, Cyberabad police recovered the victim's clothes, footwear and a liquor bottle near the toll plaza, where Priyanka Reddy had parked her scooty.
Police have formed 10 teams to arrest the culprits in the case, which shocked the entire Telangana. Sources said two truck drivers could be behind the ghastly crime.
Owner of a tyre repair shop told police that a youth brought a scooty between 9.30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Priyanka had called sister Bhavya Reddy around 9.45 p.m. that her vehicle got punctured and somebody offered to help her and took her vehicle for repair. Bhavya said her sister told her that she was feeling scared by some truck drivers near her.
Bhavya had advised her to leave the vehicle, come to the toll plaza and return home by a cab. However, when Bhavya later called her back, the mobile was switched off.
The family lodged a missing complaint with the police around 11 p.m. The police on Thursday morning found a charred body near Shadnagar. It was identified as Priyanka Reddy's body.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said the police teams were scanning the CCTV footage from the toll plaza.
Investigations revealed that Priyanka had left her house in Shamshabad for Kolluru village to attend the duty at 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 at 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.
Victim should have called police: Home Minister
Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Friday said the woman, who was allegedly raped and murdered on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Wednesday night, should have called the police.
Terming the incident unfortunate, he said the woman should have called the police instead of her sister as this could have saved her.
The minister said that if anybody calls police on 100, help would reach them within three minutes.
Women activist, doctors demand strict action
Women activist and doctors from the city have demanded strictest action against the murder of a veterinary doctor who was burnt to death after suspected sexual assault.
On Thursday, the burnt body of the doctor was found at Shadnagar outskirts in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district.
Speaking to ANI, doctor M Srinivas said, "It is a shameful incident for us. It makes us question if we are living in a barbarian society. What happened with such educated, independent woman is beyond our imagination. It is a shame to the whole society."
Women rights activist Vara Laxmi also called for increased security measures to avoid such incidents and demanded the culprits to be brought to justice.
"We are very shocked to hear about the doctor. This shows the absence of strict vigilance. The lorry, road transport should be given more supervision. The investigation says maybe the lorry drivers are involved in the murder of the doctor. The state should supervise the entry and exit of heavy vehicles at night," Laxmi said.
As per the preliminary probe, the police suspect that the doctor was sexually assaulted.
A case has been registered under relevant sections and further probe into the matter is underway.
"We received a complaint in Shamshabad Rural Police Station from her sister. The victim was working as a veterinary doctor at Kollur had gone to a hospital for treatment and while returning her vehicle's tires got punctured. Today morning her burnt body was found from Shadnagar outskirts," ACP of Shadnagar, V Surender had said.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad Police have arrested the accused persons involved in the alleged rape and murder case of the woman veterinary doctor in Telangana. The accused are a lorry driver and cleaners, police sources said.