MUFTI PRESSES FOR FASTTRACK TRIAL ON KATHUA
JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday requested the chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir high court to form a special fast-track court to try suspects in the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl that has sparked public outrage across India, as her PDP moved to cover up cracks exposed by the incident in its alliance with the BJP.
When it is formed, the first fasttrack court to try a case in Kashmir would complete the trial in 90 days, home department officials with knowledge of the matter said on condition of anonymity
The J&K government has decided to terminate the services of four cops named as suspects along with four others in the case. Sub-inspector Anand Dutta, head constable Tilak Raj and SPOs Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma were named in the charge sheet filed by the police .
Investigators say the girl from the Bakarwal tribe was kidnapped, held in a temple, drugged, raped and then murdered to scare her community out of the neighbourhood. Her body was found on January 17.
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres termed the incident “horrific” and asked Indian authorities to ensure the guilty are brought to justice.
JAMMU: The resignations of the two BJP ministers who courted controversy by supporting the accused in the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua, Jammu, has been sent to chief minister Mehbooba Mufti for further action, Ram Madhav, BJP national general secretary, said on Saturday.
Forest minister Lal Singh and industries minister Chander Prakash Ganga tendered their resignation in view of a perception being created, he added.
He, however, said the ministers had gone to the Hindu Ekta Manch rally in Hiranagar in March to pacify the people on the instructions of the party.
Madhav said during the course of investigations some police officials were found guilty of tampering the evidences.
The completion of the probe within 90 days makes it very clear that at no point of time there was any attempt to influence the investigations, he added. “Our party was with the government investigations all the time,” he added.
“We are confident that the perpetrators will be punished for the heinous crime. The government is also mulling a fast track court for speedy trial,” he added.
He lashed out at the Congress, alleging that it was trying to politicise the issue which should not be done.
“It was being projected in a way that the ministers went there to disrupt the investigations. They had no such intentions. They were also projected as pro-rapist leaders which is far from truth,” he said.
Asked about the demand for a CBI probe into the incident, the BJP leader said, “The police has completed the probe and now it is in the court of law. It is for the court to decide.”