Srinagar: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said the gang-rape and murder of an 8-year-old nomadic Bakarwal girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district in January this year was shameful.
He said, “After 70 years of independence, such an incident occurring in any part of the country is shameful”.
The President who was addressing the sixth convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) at Katra near Jammu said, “We have to think what kind of society we are developing.” He added, “It is our responsibility to ensure such a thing does not happen to any girl or woman.”
Earlier Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, while speaking on the occasions asked, “How can someone do such a cruel thing to a small girl who is a manifestation of Mata Vaishno Devi?” She said, “There is something wrong with the society.”
The victim went missing while grazing horses in Rasana village of Hiranagar tehsil of J&K’s Kathua district on January 10. A week later, her body was found in woods near her village. The DNA and police investigations have revealed that she was held inside a local temple where she was drugged, raped and killed.
The Crime Branch of the J&K police entrusted with investigation of the gory incident filed two separate charge sheets against the eight accused including the custodian of the temple, his son, four police officers and two others in the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM)’s court at Kathua. All the accused who have already been arrested pleaded not guilty at the first hearing of the case held on April 16.
Thought belatedly the incident has sparked outrage across the country and strong voices for awarding capital punishment to the guilty are being raised by different quarters. The Kashmir Valley on Wednesday once again witnessed a series of protests including by students of various colleges and higher secondary schools. Clashes between irate crowds of students and youth and the security forces were reported from Tral, Awantipore, Pampore and Anantnag in south Kashmir, Baramulla and Uri in the northwest and Ganderbal in north Kashmir, leaving many protesters injured.
President Kovind who along with his wife Savita Kovind is on a two day visit of Jammu gave medals and merit certificates to many meritorious students among the 880 scholars of the SMVDU at the convocation. Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Munjal Auto Engineering Ltd, Sudhir Munjal, were conferred honorary doctorate by SMVDU on the occasion. Later during the day a civic reception was held on the sprawling lawn of Jammu’s historic Amar Mahal in honour of the President. He is scheduled to meet Chief Justice, Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar, and other Judges of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court over breakfast on Thursday.
