Bhubaneswar: Odisha's Law Minister Pratap Jena said on Friday that the Hyderabad Police did "nothing wrong" in killing the four persons arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a woman veterinarian.
Noting that the four deserved stringent punishment, the Law Minister said the human rights activists may say something, but the fact remained that they (accused persons) were involved in most heinous crime.
"I think, there is nothing wrong committed by the Hyderabad Police. The four persons accused in a heinous crime, were killed while trying to escape. This is my personal view," Jena told reporters at Lok Seva Bhawan here.
"There are countries where the culprits of such crimes are beheaded. In our country, such criminals should be given stringent punishment," the minister said.
The opposition BJP and the Congress also hailed the Hyderabad police action.
"I thank the Hyderabad Police for performing their duties in letter and spirit. Their action was under the ambit of the law. There is provision under the law to kill the criminals trying to escape from the judicial custody," said BJP spokesman Golak Mohapatra.
He, however, criticised the Odisha government over the rising crimes against women in the state. Senior Congress MLA and former minister Suresh Routray also hailed the Hyderabad Police.
"The criminals of such crimes should be given punishments like in Hyderabad incident. Similar action should be taken by Odisha Police," Routray.
Human rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo condemned the rape and murder of the woman in Hyderabad but did not accept the police action.
"It (encounter) may be an attempt to cover up police inefficiency. Adopting shot cut method to punish the culprits may pose danger to the judicial system and human rights. There should be a neutral investigation into the police encounter," Kanungo said.
The people belonging to different walks of life including women, girls, men, senior citizens and intellectuals across the state welcomed the Hyderabad police action.
Others, however, said that the justice should come in proper manner and not in an "accidental" manner. "Rapists should be hanged to death as per law in a time bound manner," said a city based woman lecturer.
"Instead of depending on court verdict and lingering the trial in such cases, there must be a legal provision in India for expeditious trial to punish these accused," the minister said.
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