Vet rape and murder case:Bodies of four slain accused shifted

The bodies of four men accused in the rape and murder of a woman veterinarian, who were killed in an alleged exchange of fire with police on December 6, were on Tuesday shifted to the state-run Gandhi Hospital here from Mahabubnagar district.

"The bodies of the four people were brought here and are preserved in the mortuary of Gandhi Hospital on Tuesday," a senior hospital official told PTI.

The Telangana High Court on Monday directed authorities to preserve their bodies till December 13 and ordered that the bodies can be shifted to Gandhi Hospital if the government hospital at Mahabubnagar does not have the facility to preserve them till that date.

The bodies were kept at the government hospital at Mahabubnagar after autopsy following the alleged encounter on December 6.

The High Court was treating as a petition a representation received in the office of the Chief Justice alleging that the 'encounter' was extra-judicial killing and requesting judicial intervention.

The four accused were arrested on November 29 for allegedly raping and killing thewoman by smothering her and burning her body.

They were gunned down by police on December 6 at Chattanpalli about 50 kms from here when they were taken to the scene of crime near the culvert, under which the charred remains of the 25-year old veterinarian were found on November 28, to recover her phone, wrist watch and others pertaining to the case.

The Cyberabad police had said its personnel resorted to "retaliatory" firing after two of the accused opened fire at their personnel after snatching their weapons besides attacking them with stones and sticks, resulting in injuries to two policemen.