Crime, rape know no geography; duty of govt & police is to protect citizens, not to make them victims: Renuka Chowdhury

By Amit Kumar
New Delhi [India], Dec 1 (ANI): Congress leader and former Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury on Sunday expressed deep anguish over the rape and murder of a female veterinary doctor in Telangana and took exception to the behaviour of the police over the jurisdiction of the crime, saying that "crime and rape are not bounded by geography."
Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury said: "After the incident, the state's Home Minister said the girl should have called up the police rather than her sister. When the victim's family went to the police station, the policemen told them it was not their jurisdiction. Crime and rape are not bounded by geography, the death of a young girl is not bounded by geography."
"Under the Constitution, the people have the right to go anywhere, be it day or night. The business of the government or the police is to protect the people instead of making us victims," added Chowdhury.
After the incident, Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Friday had stirred controversy, saying that the 'female doctor called up her sister instead of the police despite being educated.'
He drew flak from all sections of society for this comment, which he later clarified that his intention was to make the public aware of help coming from the police and not to hurt the sentiments of any person.
"I am deeply saddened by the mishap. She was like my own daughter. Stringent punishment will be given to the culprit. When I met her parents, tears rolled down my eyes as well," Ali had told reporters.
"I did not say that she should not have called up her sister. What I meant was that if somebody, even if it was her sister, had informed the police, then the help might have arrived," he added.
Chowdhury, while alleging that the governments were failing in providing protection to the citizens, further said, "If you look at the trends, in the recent past, rapes are being committed inside cars which are running on the roads. These people get the confidence to get away with these acts because there is governance failure."
The former parliamentarian claimed that the 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' has been reduced to a slogan for getting votes during the elections and urged the Centre to bring measures to empower women across the country.
"What is the Niti Aayog doing? Why cannot they say that the states which have a poor record of women's safety will not have access to funding from the Centre? You have a brute majority in Parliament. Why are you not bringing the Women's Reservation Bill," she questioned.
Earlier on Saturday, three cops were suspended in Telangana over the alleged negligence in filing the FIR in connection with the rape and murder of the veterinarian.
"Sub-Inspector M Ravi Kumar and Head Constables P Venu Gopal Reddy and A Sathyanarayana Goud were placed under suspension till further orders based on the findings of a detailed inquiry," said Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar.
Four people, identified as Mohammad Areef, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen, and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu, have been arrested in the case and sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Ranga Reddy court on Saturday.
The burnt body of the doctor was found at Shadnagar outskirts in Ranga Reddy district. As per the preliminary probe, the police suspect that the veterinary doctor was sexually assaulted. (ANI)