Kathua gangrape: The Apex Court set aside the orders of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Kathua and the high court which had held that the accused Shubam Sangra was a juvenile and hence to be tried separately.
The father of the eight-year-old nomadic girl, who was gangraped and murdered in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, welcomed the Monday judgement convicting six men in the case, but said his family was expecting that the culprits would be handed down death penalty. He also expressed unhappiness over the acquittal of the seventh accused.
An eight-year-old girl, belonging to a nomadic Muslim tribe, was abducted, drugged, gangraped, tortured and killed on January 10 last year.
The Crime Branch has also asked the district police to provide protection to the two witnesses who made written complaints. They said they were being harassed and threatened by the friends and relatives of the accused and were under pressure to change their statements before the district and sessions court in Pathankot, Punjab, which is hearing the case.
Under the new law, committing rape on a woman under sixteen years of age has been made punishable with rigorous imprisonment for twenty years and may extend to a life sentence, which shall mean the remainder of that person’s natural life.
Directing day-to-day "in-camera" trial, the apex court asked the district and sessions judge at Pathankot to personally undertake the trial proceedings.
The grieving father, belonging to a minority nomadic community which earns its livelihood by raising cattle, also said he has full faith in the government.
The apex court also said that hearing will be held in-camera on a day-to-day basis to avoid any delay. It further scheduled the next hearing on July 9.
Ahead of the reshuffle, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh resigned on Sunday. The post will be filled by Jammu and Kashmir assembly speaker and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta.
The minor had disappeared from near her home in the forests next to Rasana village in Kathua on January 10. Her body was found in the same area a week later.
The two accused, Sanji Ram and Vishal Jangotra, have been chargesheeted by the crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Kathua case.
The brutality and inhumanity has once again brought the nation back to square one. It seems that there is no end to this shame.
Shabana Azmi expressed her views on rising crimes against women at 20th Beti FLO GR8 Awards 2018.
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