Video By: Basharat Amin | Article By: Nusrat Ali
Kathua, Jammu: It has been a year to the horrific Kathua rape and murder case but the people associated with the case, including defense lawyers and public prosecutors, are uncertain about the time the case will take, although it has entered into an advanced stage.
“We have been assured that justice will be delivered within shortest possible time. But it has been 1 year to the incidence and we are still waiting for the justice” – Mohammad
The Kathua rape and murder case refers to the abduction, rape, and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Rasana village near Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2018. The victim belonged to the Bakarwal community. She disappeared for a week before her dead body was discovered by the villagers a kilometer away from the village.
Police arrested eight men, including a retired government official, four police officers and a minor in connection with the case. and filed charges against them in April 2018. The crime shocked the entire nation, even people from abroad expressed their sympathies and angst.
The charge sheet filed by the police stated that the abduction of the victim was planned in an attempt to get personal revenge by the accused, as well as to intimidate the Bakarwal community into moving out of the area.
As per Public Prosecution, 114 witnesses have been examined and presented before the court so far.
The gravity of the offense and the seriousness of the trial could be gauged from the fact that none of the arrested accused has been ‘set on bail’ so far.
“We are on the final stage of the case. We have presented our evidence and witnesses to the court and defense lawyers are now presenting their evidence. Probably the final verdict in the case will take few more months”, Talib Hussain, Advocate and Social Activist.
