Expressing anguish over the gangrape and murder of a woman veterinary doctor, veteran actor Waheeda Rehman has said rape is a horrific and unforgivable crime, even as she believes the guilty deserve life imprisonment, not death.

The Cyberabad Police had said its personnel resorted to “retaliatory” firing after two of the accused, who were taken to the scene of the crime, opened fire at police after snatching their weapons besides attacking the latter with stones and sticks, resulting in injuries to two policemen.

Asked about the same, Rehman told reporters on Sunday night, “Horrific crimes like rapes are unforgivable. But still, I feel, it’s not in our hands to kill someone. A rapist must be imprisoned for life. Make them rot for lifetime.

Rehman was speaking at the launch of musician Roopkumar Rathod’s first book “Wild Voyage” at the opening preview of photography exhibition Meraki.

Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who was also present at the event, said he doesn’t view the encounter as “good news.” “It’s a time when the entire society, keepers of law and all of us as citizens should hang our heads in shame that we have let this happen.“In a civilised society, it has to be delivered by the court, and not by execution,” Mehra added.