The Telangana High Court on Friday directed the state government to preserve the bodies of four accused in the rape and murder of a young veterinarian till 8:00 pm on December 9.

The high court gave the order on a representation received in the office of the Chief Justice, requesting judicial intervention into the incident, alleging it was an extra-judicial killing.

The high court directed that the video of the post-mortem in Compact Disc form or pen-drive be handed over to the Principal District Judge, Mahabubnagar, after completion of the post-mortem of all the accused.

The court directed the Principal District Judge, Mahabubnagarto, to receive the CD or pen drive and hand it over to the Registrar General of the High Court by tomorrow evening.

“We further direct that the dead bodies of the four deceased/accused/suspects who were killed in the encounter be preserved by the State till 8:00 PM on December 9,” the high court division bench said.

All the four accused were shot dead by police on Friday during a pre-dawn exchange of fire near Hyderabad, police said.

The four were arrested on November 29 for allegedly raping and killing the 26-year-old woman by smothering her and later burning her body.