Kathua Rape Verdict Announced Today

History:
Kathua, a place on the border of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab is a small district. Last year in January came into news when an 8-year-old girl, Asifa Bano. Her abductors and rapers were influential people and after the huge outrage throughout the country, police arrested them.

Case history: Police had filled 5600 charge sheet stating that on 12 Jan 2018, Mohammad Yusuf who belongs to a nomad Bakrawal community lodged a complaint in Hiranagar (place in Kathua) police station. In which he said that his daughter had gone missing. On 17th Jan the same year, police discovered the dead body of the girl. And took the body of the victim into custody. The rape of the child unearthed in the postmortem report. Also, the drug was found in her body. Many several accusers raped her in a temple for many days and strangled her to death.

Accuse:
Sanji Ram, a retired government officer along with police officers Surender Verma, Anand Dutta, Tilak Raj, and Mr. Khajuria planned the whole crime. Sanji ram’s son, his nephew a juvenile, and his friend Parvesh Kumar are also part of this collision.

Investigation:
At that time chief minister Mehbooba mufti ordered an investigation. In which it was found that the officers who were investigating first (also accused) washed blood stain clothes and destroyed forensic pieces of evidence.

Trial:
Supreme Court-monitored trial started on 16th April, at session court Kathua. But because of tension and influences, the supreme court shifted the case to Pathankot on 7th May. Supreme Court closed the trial for the public and press.

Communal tension:
After this news break, there was huge outrage across the country as well as in the state. Opposition parties were protesting on a large scale. It was also in the thought that to petrify the Bakrawal community who are basically minority Muslims in Hindu dominated Kathua area. And the issue becomes much worse after knowing that is was the temple where this heinous crime took place.

Even the BJP local leader supported the accusers and asked the central government to investigate this matter. As BJP and PDP were in power at that time in Jammu and Kashmir PDP stance was clear but not BJPs.

STATUS:
The case trial ended on 3rd June 2019 after the Supreme Court orders to take the case in the fast track. In which District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh said that he will announce the result on the 10th of June which is today.

THE COURT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT SIX OUT OF SEVEN ACCUSED ARE GUILTY AND CONVICTED IN KATHUA RAPE CASE