President dismayed by spurt in child rape cases
IN KATHUA’S SHADOW Says security of child is foremost responsibility of any society KAKRYAL (REASI):
President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday condemned the gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua in unequivocal terms, and urged every individual to do his or her bit to ensure that children are safe and secure.
“I think the most beautiful thing in this world is the smile of an innocent child and a society’s biggest success lies in the safety of its children. Every child has to be protected and feel secured. It is the first and foremost responsibility of any society,” Kovind said. at the sixth convocation of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University.
“However, in our country our children today are falling prey to brutal crimes and recently in this state, an innocent girl child also fell prey to a brutal crime and ghastly murder, which is beyond imagination and that is why I put forth before you the indispensability of human values,” he said addressing the audience.
According to a recent chargesheet filed by the crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir police, the child from the nomadic Bakarwal family was kidnapped on January 10, held captive in a village temple, drugged and raped before being murdered. Her body was discovered on January 17. The police have charged eight people in the case, linking it to a conspiracy to scare the Bakarwal community into leaving in the village.