Another brutal rape of minor stuns Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Details of the gang rape, mutilation and murder of the nine-year-old girl from Uri, north Kashmir, emerged on Wednesday, immediately evoking parallels with the gang rape and killing of an eight-year-old girl eight months ago, and shocking everyone with the sheer brutality of it all.

The stepmother, jealous that the husband doted more on his second wife and nine-year-old daughter, conspired with her own teenaged son, two of his friends and another man to commit the crime, Imtiyaz Hussain, the senior superintendent of police, Baramulla, told reporters.

All five have been arrested after investigations. Forensic tests and examination of the crime scene revealed that the girl was raped by turns by the stepbrother, his teenaged friends, and a 28-year-old man, the SSP said.

She was then strangled by the stepmother and struck on the head with an axe by the stepbrother, leading to instant death. Her eyes were also gouged out with a sharp knife by one of the teenagers, and acid sprayed on her body, he added.

Investigations started after the girl’s father lodged a police complaint that she was missing on August 24, the police officer said. The family lived in Uri.

Hussain said that during investigations, the statement of the girl’s father was recorded. It was found that he has two wives -one

THE 9YEAROLD WAS ALLEGEDLY RAPED BY HER STEPBROTHER AND HIS AIDES. IT WAS AT THE BEHEST OF HER STEPMOTHER WHO RESENTED THE GIRL’S BIOLOGICAL MOTHER

from a local village, and another who is from Jharkhand.

“The missing girl was the daughter of the non-local mother. On Sunday, the dead body of the missing girl was found in decomposed form in the nearby forest, about 1 km from the girl’s home.”

After a scan of the crime scene suggested murder, investigations were stepped up, he said. “During sustained questioning of the stepmother of the deceased and other suspects, the bone-chilling and horrible account of murder and rape of the nine-year-old child emerged.”

It was found that the stepmother had a longstanding grudge against the non-local wife and her children. During questioning, she also revealed that her husband would mostly spend time with his second wife, and his deceased daughter was dearest to him among all his children, the SSP said.

On the fateful day, the stepmother allegedly took her stepdaughter to the nearby jungles. She was armed with a sharp knife.