Want harshest punishment for guilty in rape-murder case: KTR

Telangana cabinet minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday said that while he is also keen to see the punishment of four men involved in the gang-rape and murder of a young veterinarian here, he cannot say hang them in public or shoot them at sight as being in the government he has to work within the purview of the law.

Rama Rao said the current legislations sometimes act as impediment to much needed relief and might be frustrating in such situations.

"I am as much keen and as much passionate as anybody else in India to see the end of those four fellows but unfortunately being in government, I cannot take the same stand. I cannot be saying hang them in public or shoot them on sight. That's not how the system works. You have to brace yourself to reality, to work within the purview of legality, to operate within the purview of the Constitution of India,"

Rama Rao, who is the son of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and working President of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), made these remarks amid the growing demand for immediate capital punishment to perpetrators of the heinous crime.

He was speaking at a ceremony to distribute certificates to the 94th foundation course for All Indian Service and Central Civil Service Officers here.

He referred to the unfortunate incident in Hyderabad where a young veterinarian was brutally raped and killed.

"You may have seen the uproar, fury and seething rage of the nation and the people of Telangana. They want instant capital punishment. You may have seen some very respected MPs speaking on floor of the House asking them to be lynched and asking them to be instantly shot," he said.

"While their fury and anger is justified, the fact is that to get that done lawfully lot of things come in the way," he said pointing out that the guilty in the 2012 Nirbhaya case are yet to be hanged, while one of them had even escaped tough punishment, being a juvenile.

"Lot of times, even though you want instant results, the current legislation sometime will pose impediment. In much needed relief that you want legislations, laws, Acts might come in the way. They might frustrate," he added.IANS