Hyderabad: The Nation this morning woke up to a pre-dawn  encounter where the Cyberabad Police shot dead all four suspects of veterinarian Disha’s rape and murder case. The gruesome rape and murder had triggered nationwide outrage with lawmakers demanding public lynching of the accused on the floor of Parliament.

Disha (name changed), the 26-year-old veterinarian was smothered, raped and then burnt by the suspects on Nov. 27. The incident shook the Nation’s conscience like the Nirbhaya case that occurred in New Delhi on Dec. 16, 2012. 

Around 3 am today, the Cyberabad Police opened fire on them on National Highway-4 near Hyderabad at the very same place where Disha’s charred body was found. The Police had taken the four accused — Mohammad Ali alias Mohammad Arif, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen Kumar and Chintakunta Chennakesavulu — to the spot for the recreation of the crime scene when the incident occurred.

According to the Police, the suspects began stoning cops in order to escape. The Police directed them to surrender, but the suspects didn’t follow instructions, forcing the cops to use their weapons. Two Policemen were injured in the incident. 

Vishwanath C. Sajjanar, Cyberabad Police Commissioner, who hails from Hubballi in Karnataka, confirmed the incident. “The four suspects were killed in crossfire in wee hours on Friday,” he said.

All the accused are natives of Narayanpet district, at Thondupally toll gate on Outer Ring Road, Shamshabad. The gang who was driving a lorry had trapped her by deflating one of the tyres of her two-wheeler which she had parked near the toll gate. Around 9 pm, when Disha reached the spot to take her vehicle she noticed that the tyre was punctured. The men approached her saying they would help her fix the tyre. They later forcibly took her to nearby bushes, assaulted, raped and killed her. After killing her, they burned her body at Chatanpally village, a few kms away from the place where she was murdered.

Disha’s charred body was found on Nov. 28, triggering nation-wide protests. The suspects were arrested within 36 hours after the incident and were remanded in judicial custody. On Wednesday, they were produced before the Court, when the Court remanded them in Police custody on Thursday.