'T'gana to set up fast-track court to punish accused in rape

Telangana government is is in the process of setting up a fast track court to hand out quick punishment to the culprits in a rape incident in Karimnagar district, state Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said here today.
Reddy, who made a statement on the incident in the Legislative Assembly, said two accused have been sent to judicial custody and the third to a juvenile home.
He said two officials who allegedly did not respond adequately upon receiving information on the incident last month have been suspended and a memo issued to a police inspector for allegedly questioning the victim in an inconvenient way.

A woman officer has been appointed as the investigation officer and the charge-sheet would be filed after receiving relevant reports, he said.
The victim was raped on February 10 and the incident videographed by the accused. The accused also tried to intimidate her, Reddy said.
According to the Minister, the incident did not come to light for several days as the victim did not tell anyone about it.

Senior Congress MLA T Jeevan Reddy alleged that there was delay in sending the victim for medical examination.
Charging that there were attempts to dilute the case, he said such incidents would not recur only when a tough punishment is handed out to the culprits.

Congress had held protests against the incident earlier and its woman MLAs visited Karimnagar district.
Finance Minister E Rajender said he had directed the officials to take quick and concrete measures after he came to know about it.
(REOPENS BES 1)
There has been a demand for categorisation of
Scheduled Castes into sub-groups (A,B,C and D categories) in the state with some sections among the SCs contending that due benefits have not accrued to them.
The Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) has been fighting for the cause of categorisation of SCs with a view to ensure social justice to all sub-castes.

Earlier, Justice Usha Mehra Commission on the issue had recommended insertion of an amendment in Article 341 of the constitution that provides for the sub-categorisation of caste, race or tribe upon receiving a resolution from legislature of a state/UT passed unanimously.