Extremely happy with the punishment: Nirbhaya's mother lauds Telangana Police

New Delhi, Dec 06: The 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim's mother Asha Devi also responded to the overnight development in the Hyderabad vet's rape and murder, saying she was extremely content with the punishment given to the accused.

Speaking to ANI, Devi said, "I am extremely happy with this punishment. Police have done a great job & I demand that no action should be taken against the police personnel."

She also appealed to the Centre and the Delhi government that her daughter, a 23-year-old paramedic student who was gang-raped inside a running bus in south Delhi and thrown out on the road along with her male friend on 12 December, should be given justice and demanded the culprits be hanged to death.

"I have been running from pillar to post for the last seven years. I appeal to the justice system of this country and the government, that Nirbhaya's culprits must be hanged to death, at the earliest," she said.

The four accused arrested in connection with the rape-and-murder of a 26-year-old woman veterinarian near here last month were killed in an alleged encounter with the police Friday morning, police said.

"The four accused were killed in an encounter with the police," Cyberabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar said. The four men, all lorry workers, aged between 20 and 24, were arrested on November 29 for allegedly raping and killing the woman by smothering her and later burning her body. They were in remanded to 7 days' judicial custody. They were taken to the crime scene on Friday morning by the police as part of the investigation, a source said. "They fired upon the police team and we retaliated in self-defence. Two of our men are also injured in the incident," the source told PTI.

The gang rape-and-murder triggered a nation-wide outrage with the public and lawmakers demanding speedy punishment to the perpetrators. The state government has ordered setting up of a fast track court to expedite the trial.