Kathua: Medical Report Confirms 8-Yr-Old Was Raped & Uterus Mutilated, Chargesheet Filed Amid Lawyers' Protest

High drama ensued outside the courthouse of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Jammu & Kashmir’s Kathua after lawyers blocked the way of Crime Branch officials who were filing a charge sheet into the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl, reported NDTV.

Despite massive presence of police, Bar association members protested and stopped Crime Bank officials from entering the court. The Bar association has openly supported the Hindu Ekta Manch in their protest against the arrest of the rape and murder accused.

Now the thugs in black coats are invoking Ram’s name to prevent @JmuKmrPolice from filing chalan in 8-year-old Asifa’s rape case in Kathua, Jammu. These people are the biggest enemies of Hinduism. pic.twitter.com/lOc2PMDLfz

— Rahul Pandita (@rahulpandita) April 9, 2018

Kathua Bar association issued a statement condemning the police and the state government for filing a charge sheet. The association also congratulated the protesters who stopped the police from getting inside the court to produce the challan.

After the emergency reinforcement was rushed to court, the crime branch filed the charge sheet against seven of the eight accused, including two special police officers.

The charge sheet was filed a few days after DNA tests confirmed that eight-year-old victim, who belongs to the nomadic Bakarwal community, was held captive in a temple before being strangled to death after being raped.

The child’s rape

An eight-year-old girl from the Bakerwal community was raped and murdered on January 10. She had gone out to graze horses in the nearby forest but did not return.

A week later her decomposed body was found. Marks on her body clearly indicated that she was raped before being murdered. Mohammad Yusuf, her father said the girl’s “lips had been bitten and there were marks of violence on her thighs and face”.

A minor was initially arrested in relation to the case. Later, on February 10, police arrested a Special Police Officer (SPO) Deepak Khajuria for the crime. Ironically, Khajuria had been a part of the police search team looking for the then missing victim. He had also been a part of the police contingent deployed to break up the crowds protesting the rape and murder.

Protest by Hindu Ekta Manch

Some residents of nearby villages and members of Hindu Ekta Manch, however, have criticised the investigation as being botched and conducted under “tremendous fabricated pressure”. They are asking for the case to be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“The way the Crime Branch and the Police have acted so far, it is clear the government’s intentions were not clear. We want a transparent and fair probe into the case. For that, the case should be handed over to the CBI,” said Vijay Kumar Sharma, president of the Hindu Ekta Manch.

On February 14, members of the Hindu Ekta Manch took out a protest rally to demand the release of the arrested Special Police Officer

According to Kashmir Life, the protest was led by BJP leader and leaders of Hindu Ekta Manch. The rally was held from Ghagwal to Hiranagar in Kathua.