Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Friday hailed the Telangana Police after the four accused in the gang-rape and gruesome murder of a government veterinarian were killed in a police encounter in the wee hours in Hyderabad.

Mayawati, who was the first among the political leaders toexpress her views on the Telangana encounter case, said, ''Crimes against women are on the rise in Uttar Pradesh, but the state government is sleeping. Police here and also in Delhi should take inspiration from Hyderabad Police, but unfortunately, here criminals are treated as state guests, there is jungle rajin UP right now. ''

Earlier on Friday, all the four accused were killed in apolice encounter at Shadnagar.

All the four accused - Mohammad Areef, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu - had been taken to the spot for recreation of the crime scenewhen they tried to escape. When the police asked them to surrender, theystarted pelting stones, forcing the policemen to open fire in self-defenceduring which they were killed. It is also being said that the four accusedtried to snatch weapons from the police officials too, after which, the police,in self-defence, opened fire on them. Confirming the development, TelanganaPolice said, ''All four people accused in the rape and murder of womanveterinarian in Telangana have been killed in an encounter with the police.''

They were gunned down at the same spot where the accused haddumped the victim`s body and set it afire on the night of November 27 after thegang-rape near Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Minutes after theencounter, senior Telangana police officials arrived at the site to take stockof the situation.Reacting to the development, the victim's father said, ''mydaughter got justice today.'' ''It has been 10 days to the day my daughterdied. I express my gratitude towards the police and the government for this. Mydaughter's soul must be at peace now,'' he added.

The late doctor's sister said, ''I want to thank the TelanganaPolice, Telangana government and the media for their support to us.''Meanwhile,Swati Maliwal, the DCW chairperson who is on a hunger strike in the nationalcapital demanding justice for the victim, said, ''What will the police do ifrapists try to escape?''

On her turn, Nirbhaya's (the paramedic who was gang-rapedand brutally tortured by five men on December 2012) mother Asha Devi said, ''Iam extremely happy with this punishment. Police have done a great job and Idemand that no action should be taken against the police personnel.''Asha Deviregretted that despite getting capital punishment from the Supreme Court, theaccused in her daughter's case have still not been hanged to death.

''Justice has been delayed to us. I have been running frompillar to post for the last 7 years. I appeal to the justice system of thiscountry and the government, that Nirbhaya's culprits must be hanged to death, atthe earliest,'' she demanded.

On the Telangana encounter, Rekha Sharma, NationalCommission for Women chairperson, said, ''As a common citizen I am feelinghappy that this was the end we all wanted for them. But this end was supposedto be through the legal system. It should have happened through properchannels.''

''We always demanded death penalty for them, and here policeis the best judge, I don't know in what circumstances this happened,'' sheadded.

The Hyderabad gangrape and murder case had triggered anationwide protest and renewed demands for capital punishment for the accusedin such heinous crimes. The 26-year-old veterinary doctor was smothered,gang-raped and then burnt by four men and her charred body was found the nextday on November 28 under a culvert on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway.

According to the Cyberabad Police, the four accused hadpunctured the rear wheel of her scooter, offered to help her, dragged her to asecluded spot close to a toll plaza and raped her. It said the victim died dueto suffocation and the accused later set her body on fire.

The Cyberabad Police had arrested the four accused onNovember 29 in connection with their involvement in the rape and murder case.All the four accused, who worked as drivers and cleaners, were sent to judicialcustody for 14 days by a local court.

The Telangana government on Wednesday issued orders forsetting up a fast track court to try the four accused in connection with thecase. The government also designated the Court of First Additional District andSessions Judge in Mahabubnagar district as the special court for speedy trial ofthe case.

Against the backdrop of the gruesome incident, the Telanganagovernment said cases of crimes against women and missing women should beregistered immediately by police on receipt of a complaint by following the'Zero FIR' system. Last week, three cops were suspended over alleged negligencein filing the FIR in connection with the rape and murder of the veterinarian.