The four suspects were killed while trying to escape. Indian police said on Friday (December 6th) that they had shot dead the four men accused of raping and killing a 27-year-old woman during the night re-enactment of the crime in Hyderabad (south).

"They tried to seize the weapon of their guards but they were shot," said Prakash Reddy, deputy police commissioner of Hyderabad, adding that the four suspects had been "killed in crossfire".

"We called an ambulance but they died before medical help arrived."

The four men were arrested last week and charged with raping and murdering a veterinarian whose body had been burned.

Indignation

The victim was abducted on the evening of November 27 when she took back her scooter, police said. The four men allegedly punctured one of his scooter tires in his absence and then offered to help him on his return by luring him to a truck lane.

The young woman had called her younger sister to explain that she was down and that a group of men had offered to repair her scooter. She said she was "scared". Her sister then wanted to call her back, but her phone was unplugged.

According to the Indian police, the charred remains of the victim's corpse were discovered the next morning under a bridge. The body was placed in a blanket and then sprinkled with gasoline before being burned.

Despite the speedy arrest of the four suspects, the case has repelled the country where sexual violence has been a regular feature since the gang rape of a student aboard a bus in New Delhi in 2012, which sparked international outrage .

On Saturday, hundreds of protesters were dispersed by the police. They tried to enter the police station where the four suspects were held.

In the national parliament, former actress Jaya Bachchan said the culprits must be "lynched in public".

"Example value"

In Hyderabad, the announcement of the death of the four men was greeted with celebrations of joy. Hundreds of people gathered at the scene, detonating firecrackers and throwing flower petals at the police.

"I am happy that the four defendants were killed," the victim's sister told a local television channel on Friday. "This incident will be an example, and I thank the police and the media for their support."

Other voices have come to the fore to denounce the "arbitrary violence" of an Indian police often accused of extrajudicial killings when it comes to covering bastardized investigations or calming public opinion.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," said lawyer and activist Vrinda Grover. "The police must be accountable, and instead of conducting an investigation and collecting evidence, the state is committing murder to satisfy the public and avoid accountability."

According to the latest official figures including more than 10,000 minor victims, more than 33,000 rapes were reported in India in 2017.

With AFP