Lal Singh to hold rally on May 20 to push for CBI demand
JAMMU : Former Jammu and Kashmir minister Choudhary Lal Singh, who has been demanding an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) in the Kathua rape and murder case, will take out a rally on May 20 in support of his demand.
“Peaceful processions will be taken out from different corners of Jammu in morning on May 20. Those will congregate at Hiranagar in the late afternoon. Thousands are likely to participate in the rally ‘Dogra Swabhiman’ in Hiranagar on Sunday evening,” Singh told reporters on Monday.
The girl’s body was recovered from Rassana forest in Hiranagar sub-division of Kathua on January 17, a week after she went missing.
The trial in the case, which began in April in Kathua has been transferred to Pathankot in Punjab by the Supreme Court few days back. SC has ordered a dayto-day trial to be held in front of the camera.
The state police’s crime branch, which has probed the case has filed the charge sheet against seven persons and separate charge sheet against a juvenile in Kathua district court last month.
Singh said, “What is the harm in ordering CBI inquiry for free and impartial probe, which will satisfy both accused and victim’s family. What kind of justice will that be, if innocents are punished for crime which they have not committed.”
Batting strongly for the CBI probe, Singh said, “It was seen that after the two women died in Shopian in Kashmir in 2009, the police inquiry held army personnel of raping both and later eliminating them. The issue evoked widespread protests by locals and even separatists. However, when the matter was refereed to CBI, it was found that both had drowned and there was no evidence that either had been raped.”
“Now why the same separatists are opposing CBI probe who accept the investigation from the agency in 2009,” he added.