Kathua case: Parents of victim anguished

Jammu/New Delhi, Dec. 26: The parents of an eightyear-old nomad girl, who was brutally raped and murdered in Kathua district of Jammu, are anguished that while their appeal for enhancement of sentence against six people remains unheard, two convicts were released on bail in the case described by a court as a “devilish and monstrous crime”.

Mohammed Yusuf, who had adopted the eight-yearold girl, and Mohammed Akthar, her biological father, said they had heard that two culprits — former sub-inspector Anand Dutta and head constable Tilak Raj — had been released on bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which suspended the rest of their sentences pending an appeal.

“I am surprised that two accused have been left on bail. Our appeal for enhancement of sentence is still pending while their appeal has been addressed. I wonder whether poor people like us will ever be heard.

“I hope the Supreme Court looks into the matter and takes some action as no one is hearing our petition,” Akthar said.

Yusuf claims that efforts were being made to dilute the case to the extent that all the culprits were out. “When the accused are out on bail, I fear that one day, I will be booked under some frivolous charge and thrown into jail. They are very powerful people,” he said.

“Already rumours have started doing the rounds that the case was going to be re-investigated by the CBI and all the accused will be out on bail,” Yusuf alleged.

The case triggered a nationwide outrage when the eight-year-old girl was found murdered on January 17, 2018. —