MyVoice: Views of our readers - 6 Dec

Rapists deserve nothing better

Telangana police deserve kudos for shooting down the monstrous rapists of Disha early Friday morning. Waiting for justice delivered by the judicial system in India is a long wait and there are chances that these heartless creatures may enjoy their life for some time behind the bards and perhaps at the end, walk away scot free.

The actions of the police would mean that Disha soul will finally attain peace. The encounter would send a strong message to sexual predators and would deter others from raping in future.

Those who blame the police over taking the law into their own hands should know the pain of the rape victim and the anguish of her family and the whole county.

K Praveena, L B Nagar, Hyderabad

II

The encounter killing of four accused in the Hyderabad rape-murder case by the police might have triggered a heated debate, but for the common Indian women and their near and dear, this action is timely and most justifiable.

As per the saying 'justice delayed is justice denied' and in this case the rapists on the prowl will get a clear message: wage of rape is death. This will help make murderous monsters think twice before they try to rape or outrage the modesty of any woman.

Mounika Medishetty, Karimnagar

III

Four rapists who brutally sexually assaulted and burnt to death Disha were killed in a police encounter early Friday morning.

People who have been crying for justice to the victim welcomed the police action in unison. But is it really justice? The accused never got a fair trial, in fact, they got no trial.

The law states that one is innocent until proven guilty, where was their chance to prove it? Will we ever get to know beyond reasonable doubt that the four men shot dead by Hyderabad police were the real perpetrators, or were they just men picked up to show how fast the crime was solved?

All four men belonged to the economically weaker sections of society, where the murder of them wouldn't stir up controversy.

Nevertheless, everyone from politicians to celebrities to gender justice activists celebrated the encounter as justice served. The general consensus appears to be people thinking that "justice is served." But is it?

Or is it staged? While a majority of netizens celebrated the encounter, some pointed out the possibility that the encounter could have been scripted.

After all, the police had only the accused and a set of circumstantial evidence tying the accused to the crime, no eye-witnesses. Everything the police claimed had to be proved in a court of law.

But before the accused had a chance to plead their innocence or guilt, they were silenced. While the legality of the encounter is for courts to decide, the celebratory response to such violence is troubling.

Naveen Kumar Chennuri, Vijayawada, AP

IV

Like any major events, news of the police action on Disha rape accused has been widely celebrated on social media. Many took to Twitter and Facebook to applaud the police, saying they had "delivered justice".

Even the mother of a student who died after being gang-raped on a bus in capital Delhi in 2012 also hailed the killing. Thousands of people gathered at the encounter spot, causing a huge traffic jam.

Police were showered with rose petals. But the question is: Could the police have acted differently? In fact, the killings were entirely avoidable. Abundant caution should be taken when people in custody are being taken to the court or the scene of the crime.

They should be secured, handcuffed and properly searched before they are taken out. All kinds of things can happen if the police are not careful. In this case, it is a clear case of an extrajudicial killing - known popularly as an 'encounter killing'.

In the days after the rape and murder, thousands of people had protested at Hyderabad police station, insisting the killers faced the death penalty. Surprisingly, former Bollywood actress and Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan said earlier this week that the accused men should be "lynched".

Ironically, several other MPs from across the political spectrum also condemned the brutal gang-rape and murder and demanded instant justice to victim indicating a police action without legal procedures.

Rape and sexual violence against women have been in focus in the country since the December 2012 gang-rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in the capital, Delhi. But there has been no sign that crimes against women are abating.

According to government figures, police registered 33,658 cases of rape in India in 2017, an average of 92 rapes every day.

It is clear that shooting a few criminals from the lower strata of the society is not the solution for the growing atrocities against women. Our judicial system needs a complete overhaul.

Rupesh P, Hyderabad