News of the police action has been widely celebrated on social media.

Many took to Twitter and Facebook to applaud the police, saying they had "delivered justice".

The mother of a student who died after being gang-raped on a bus in capital Delhi in 2012 also hailed the killing.

"I am extremely happy with this punishment. Police have done a great job," she told ANI news agency.

BBC Telugu reporter Satish Balla, reporting from the scene of the killings, said approximately 2,000 people had gathered, causing a huge traffic jam. Police were showered with rose petals.