Crime branch submits chargesheet against 7 as lawyers protest

JAMMU: Amid voices demanding a CBI probe into the alleged rape and murder of a minor nomadic girl in Rassana village of Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua district in January, the crime branch on Monday produced a chargesheet against seven accused persons in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) in Kathua town.

The crime branch, however, did not produce a chargesheet against a 15-year-old juvenile, considered to be the main accused.

IGP crime branch Afhadul Mujtaba has been quoted by Kashmir-based news wires that the crime branch on Monday filed a chargesheet against seven accused persons and that a separate chargesheet will be filed against the juvenile.

However, as soon as crime branch team entered the court premises in Kathua, some local lawyers allegedly tried to prevent the officers from filing the chargesheet and producing the accused before the CJM.

They reportedly shouted slogans like “Crime branch go back”, “We want CBI probe” and “Bar association zindabad” and also entered into a scuffle with the crime branch team.

Thereafter, a police reinforcement was rushed which paved the way for the crime branch officials to file the chargesheet against the accused.

However, the accused could not be produced before the CJM.

The seven accused persons have been booked under Sections 302, 376, 201, 120-B of the RPC. The accused are Sanji Ram, 60, his son Vishal, special police officers (SPO) Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma, Head Constable Tilak Raj, Parvesh Kumar and Sub Inspector Anand Dutta.

It may also be stated here that the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association has launched an agitation demanding a CBI probe into the case for a fair trial.