Kathua Rape-Murder Case: Chargesheet Filed Against 7 Amid High Drama as Lawyers Try to Block Police

New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch on Monday filed a chargesheet against seven people accused of raping and killing an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in January, amid chaotic scenes as lawyers tried to prevent them from entering the premises.

“We have filed chargesheet against seven accused persons and charge sheet against a juvenile person will be filed separately,” GNS news agency quoted IGP Syed Afhadul Mujtaba saying.

Following this, the Kathua Bar association issued a statement condemning the police and the state government for filing a chargesheet.

They also congratulated the protesting lawyers who tried to prevent the police from filing a challan for the case in court and said that the agitation will continue till April 12.

As the news of the police action spread, several lawyers held protests outside the magisterial court in Kathua and tried to stop the police from getting a challan to file the chargesheet in court.

Former chief minister of the state and National Conference chief Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to condemn the protest by the lawyers.

The chargesheet was filed a few days after DNA tests confirmed the eight-year-old girl, who belonged to the nomadic Bakarwal community, was held captive in a temple before being strangled to death after being raped. Her body was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses there.

The case sent shockwaves in the state, leading to several groups demanding a CBI probe in the case. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, however, rejected the demand saying that the crime branch had already completed 95 percent of the probe.

Among the accused, former revenue official and the alleged mastermind Sanji Ram (60) surrendered before the crime branch on March 20 after his son Vishal was arrested from Uttar Pradesh, Greater Kashmir reported.

In February, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had arrested a special police officer in connection with the case. A police constable and a sub-inspector were also arrested after the crime branch found they allegedly tried to destroy evidence after the crime. Ram was also seen attending protests organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch against the arrest of the police officer, according to Rising Kashmir.