Had police searched 15-house hamlet instead of forests, our beloved could have been saved: Family
SRINAGAR: The Police on Friday worked out the murder case of 8-year-old girl from Kathua by arresting a “15-year-old” who cops said strangulated the minor after she resisted attempt to rape by him. Police had rounded up three suspects and the 15-year-old, cops said confessed to crime.
“On January 12, complainant Mohd Yousaf son of Shab Din of Rassana Mohara, Tehsil Hiranagar produced a written application stating therein that his minor daughter had gone for grazing horses in the nearby forest area. At about 1600 hours, the horses returned to the Dhera but she did not return,” a police statement issued to GNS said.
Consequently, the police said that the complainant alongwith others started search in the forest and on the next day and they again searched the forest areas but she could not be traced. The complainant further stated that he suspects that his daughter may have been kidnapped by someone. As per the content of the application, case FIR No. 10/2018 U/S 363 RPC was registered and the investigation of the case started, the police statement said.
During the course of investigation, it said, Police party and VDC Badoli visited the spot, search of forest Rassana was got conducted alongwith civilians and Bakarwals residing in the area. “The search of missing girl in the forest continued every day. Look out notice was also issued.” On January 17, at about 1030 hours, body of missing girl was recovered from the Rassana forest area. Thereafter the Police team alongwith SDPO and SHO Hirangar visited the spot and photography of body was conducted through crime photographer, service of FSL team was also utilized. “The body of deceased was taken into police custody for post mortem. Legal heirs of deceased were also present on the spot. Later on, the body was shifted to DH Kathua for conducting the post mortem through board of Doctors.”
After the postmortem, the police said, the body was handed over to its legal heirs for last rites.
“Keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter a special investigation team headed by SDPO Border Chadwal was constituted and during the course of investigation SIT interrogated a no of suspects. Accordingly the case was worked out and one suspect who is a minor (15 years old) confessed to the crime.”
The investigation conducted as on date, police said, reveals that the accused kidnapped the girl and put her in nearby Cow shed at Village Rasana, where he attempted to rape her and when she resisted, he killed her by way of strangulation. “He then threw stones upon face/head of the victim for defacement.” The accused, police said, has been arrested and further questioning was going on.
The police said that since the accused is a juvenile and as per Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection) Act, 2013 (Section 22) disclosing name and particulars of a juvenile is prohibited.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family on Friday said that had police acted promptly, the girl could have been saved as the hamlet comprising only 15 to 20 households.
“It is very astonished that police did not search the small hamlet and instead start searches in the forest area,” Tufail Ahmad Pujwa, a close relative of the victim told GNS.
“Now we demand the culprit should be hanged in front of us so that ends of justices meet.” (GNS)
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