Vijayawada city police on Saturday announced that Section 144 of the IPC will be imposed in the city for a duration of 46 days, from December 1, 2019, to January 15, 2020. During this period, groups of five or more people will not be allowed to gather anywhere under the limits of the Vijayawada Police Commissionerate or carry objects like sticks or stones which could be used to cause damage. Those who violate these conditions shall be taken into custody.
The move was announced by Vijayawada Commissioner of Police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, as a precautionary measure to ‘avoid causing difficulties to the public, to ensure there are no law and order disturbances and to avoid any undesirable occurrences’.
While police in the city say that it’s a regular measure adopted once in a while to ensure the safety of citizens and ease of traffic, the announcement comes in the wake of the Hyderabad veterinarian’s rape and murder that came to light on Thursday, and the huge wave of public outcry that followed across India.
Vijayawada also saw multiple public gatherings and demonstrations demanding the death penalty for the four accused in the case. More than 200 students of SRR and CVR Government Degree College held a rally in the city.
Several protests broke out across Hyderabad and Telangana on Saturday, with the major ones held in Shamshabad, where the murder and rape took place, and in Shadnagar, where the accused were being held.
A massive student protest was organised in Shamshabad, close to the residence of the vet, blocking the movement of traffic. Locals also blocked the road in front of the Shadnagar police station, where the accused were being held. Many of the protestors have demanded immediate capital punishment for the accused.
On Thursday, the body of the 26-year-old veterinarian Madhuri (name changed) was found badly burnt at an underpass in Hyderabad outskirts. Police investigation revealed that the young woman was gang-raped and murdered by four men, after an elaborate plan.
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