Decks cleared for fast-track court in Hyderabad rape-murder case

Telangana High Court on Wednesday gave its approval to a proposal by the state government to set up a fast-track court for trial in the case relating to gang-rape and murder of a woman veterinarian.

The High Court accepted the proposal sent by Law Secretary, clearing the way for setting up the court. The government is likely to issue orders later on Wednesday in this regard, official sources said.

The move came three days after Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao directed the officials to initiate the process for setting up the court to ensure expeditious trial and stringent punishment to the guilty.

The veterinarian was gang-raped and murdered by four persons near Outer Ring Road at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad on the night of November 27. They later dumped the body near Shadnagar town and set afire.

Cyberabad police on November 29 arrested all four accused -- two truck drivers and two cleaners. According to police, they trapped the victim by deflating a tyre of her scooting and committed the heinous crime when she reached a toll gate to pick her parked vehicle and return home.

The gruesome crime triggered nation-wide outrage with people from all walks of life demanding death penalty for the guilty.