A 27-year-old veterinarian on her way home after a medical check-up at Gachibowli in Hyderabad was abducted and burnt alive by unidentified persons at Chatanpally near Shadnagar, 60 km from here in Telangana, late on Wednesday.
Also: The victim or her sister could have alerted police, says official
The Cyberabad police investigating the murder, suspect the victim was also sexually assaulted and that at least two persons were involved in the crime.
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The torched body of the victim was found at an underpass on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway by a milk vendor around 6 a.m. on Thursday. He informed the village sarpanch, who alerted the Shadnagar police.
After confirming that the victim was a female, the local police verified the recent women missing cases and alerted Shamshabad, where a woman missing case had been registered by the victim’s family.
“They reached the spot and based on the scarf, handbag buckle and Lord Ganesha’s gold pendant on her body, the family members identified the victim,” said Shadnagar Assistant Commissioner of Police V. Surender.
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The investigators suspect the accused raped the victim between Shamshabad and Chatanpally, before setting her ablaze.
Speaking to The Hindu , Cyberabad Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar said the offence took place while the victim was returning home from a skincare clinic in Gachibowli. Around 9.20 p.m. the victim reached the Tondupally toll gate of Outer Ring Road, where she parked her two-wheeler, before taking a cab to Gachibowli. When she returned she found that her two-wheeler tyre was punctured, he said.
After analysing the call recording submitted by her sister, Mr. Sajjanar said the victim got panicked by the suspicious movements of lorry drivers and strangers approaching her offering help to repair her scooter.
The veterinarian called her younger sister at 9.22 p.m. to inform that her scooter had broken down and she was alone on the road. She was heard saying that two strangers offered to help. They took her bike and returned in a few minutes stating that the tyre puncture shop was closed. Later, another person took her vehicle but did not return. “I’m feeling scared and a few people in a lorry are staring at me. I don’t know what to do. I can’t leave the vehicle,” the victim told her sister, before disconnecting the call.
When the family members tried to contact her, the victim’s mobile phone was switched off and around 1 a.m. they approached Shamshabad Rural police and lodged a complaint. Ten teams have been formed to hunt down the perpetrators.