Hyderabad Encounter: Saina Nehwal, Geeta Phogat and PV Sindhu 'Salute' Police Despite Gaps in Shootout Story

The encounter killing of the four men on Friday who were suspected of raping and killing a 27-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad has drawn applause from sportspersons Saina Nehwal, Geeta Phogat and PV Sindhu, among others.

The shuttlers and the wrestler took to social media to laud the Hyderabad police after the four accused were shot dead in the early hours on Friday as they "tried to escape from the crime scene."

"Great work #hyderabadpolice.. we salute u," Nehwal wrote. "Haivano ka encounter (Encounter of monsters) we salute u," Phogat tweeted.

"Justice has been served! Telangana Police. May Disha’s soul rest in peace," PV Sindhu tweeted.

Great work #hyderabadpolice ..we salute u ??

— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) December 6, 2019

?????? ?? ????????

we salute u ?? #hyderabadpolice

— geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) December 6, 2019

Justice has been served! 🙏🏻🙏🏻 @TelanganaPolice May Disha’s soul rest in peace 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) December 6, 2019

सुप्रभात! आज सुबह-सुबह दिल को सुकून पहुंचाने वाली खबर मिली। हैदराबाद में यह एनकाउंटर हमारे कानून के रक्षकों की समाज के राक्षसों पर शानदार विजय है। पुलिस विभाग को कोटि - कोटि नमन। निर्णय का तरीका चाहे जो रहा हो परंतु इसमें लिया गया समय काबिले-तारीफ है।#Encounter #EncounterNight — Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) December 6, 2019

Sushil Kumar lauded the police force as he argued that they have set the right example. "I would like to congratulate the police for taking immediate action. The whole country was feeling outraged with what happened with that girl. People wanted justice, and today the police have done a commendable job. The police have set the right benchmark, now people would think before committing such crimes," Kumar told ANI. "For such big crimes, an immediate verdict should be given, everyone will be happy with what happened today. It was such a heinous crime, today everyone will say that what happened was right," he added. "Thok diya, Theek kiya (Good they shot them)," Babit Phogat tweeted.

??? ???? ??? ???? #hydrabaadencounter — Babita Phogat (@BabitaPhogat) December 6, 2019

Jwala Gutta though wondered if the same would be done in the futre as well.

"Will this stop the future rapists? And an important question. Will every rapist be treated the same way...irrespective of their social standing," Jwala Gutta tweeted.

Will this stop the future rapists??

And an important question

Will every rapist be treated the same way...irrespective of their social standing?!

— Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) December 6, 2019

The congratulatory tweets for the police force come despite a battery of questions on the situation leading to the encounter remaining answered.

The men had been in police custody and were shot near the scene of last week's crimea around 6.30 am, said N Prakash Reddy, a deputy commissioner of police in Shamshabad, near Hyderabad.

The encounter, police said happened early morning when the four tried to run and were shot. No details were immediately available about how many police had escorted the four accused and whether they were handcuffed or roped together as is usually the case.

Earlier a local police official had put the time of the deaths at around 3:30 a.m. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy. Frenzied section of people also reached the "encounter" site and congratulated the police and raised slogans cheering them.