Medical experts confirm Kathua girl’s sedation, rape
Report puts claims of false case to rest: Police; students, security forces clash in Badgam
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Police’ s crime branch on saturday said reports in a section of media regarding the Kathua rape-murder case were false and that medical experts had conirmed the sedation, sexual assault and subsequent murder of the eightyear-old girl.
The Crime Branch statement on the case comes in the wake of reports in print and electronic media as well as social media regarding the case registered at the Hi ran ag ar police station ink a thu a district.
“However, for the last couple of days, a section of print/electronic media has published/broadcast information/reports shared on the social media sites as well, which are far from truth,” the Crime Branch said.
“Constrained by the reports, it is to place on record that on the basis of opinion furnished by medical experts, it was conirmed that the victim was found subjected to sexual assault by the accused.
“Accordingly, on the basis of medical opinion, Section 376 (D) of the Ranbir Penal Code was added in the case. The medical opinion also established beyond doubt that the victim was held in captivity and administered sedatives and the cause of her death was asphyxia leading to cardiopulmonary arrest,” it added.
The girl, belonging to ab akarw al muslim family, was kidnapped on Jan.10 and her body found on Jan.17 near Rasana village in Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua district.
Police investigations revealed she was held captive inside a temple, sedated and repeatedly raped before her murder. Police has iled chargesheet against eight persons in the case.
Meanwhile, clashes broke out between students and the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Badgam district on Saturday despite the authorities shutting down most colleges and schools in the valley.
Students demanding justice for the Kathua rape and murder victim clashed with the security personnel in Chadoora and Panzan areas.
As police intervened to que ll the protests a teenaged girl was hit during the stone pelting by the protesters.
The authorities have ordered closure of colleges and higher secondary schools in most parts of the Kashmir Valley on Saturday to avoid a face off between protesting students and the security forces.
Separately, Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Syed Altaf Bukhari on Saturday advised students protesting over the Kathua rape-murder case to control their emotions and resume their classes.
“After the Kathua incident, we gave the students a chance to vent their emotions. Students should control their emotions and now go back to their classes,” the minister said.
The minister said Kashmir cannot afford a generation of illiterates and urged everybody to help ensure that students resume academic activities.