The storeroom where the victim was allegedly kept, in Kathua near Jammu. (Express Photo: Nirupama Subramanian)
A former revenue officer who is suspected to be the main conspirator in the abduction, rape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakerwal girl in Jammu’s Kathua district has gone into hiding, police officials believe.
The suspect, Sanji Ram, was not home when the police went to his house in Rasana village, in Kathua, on Monday to serve him a notice seeking his appearance before the Crime Branch, according to sources.
He is suspected to have taken refuge at the government residential quarter of his son-in-law in the Valley, sources added.
After questioning the five people arrested in connection with the case, Crime Branch officials investigating the case concluded that the alleged abduction, rape and murder of the girl was part of a conspiracy to terrorise Bakerwals, a nomadic tribe, and drive them out of the forests of Rasana, where they settle down every winter with their cattle. They suspect Sanji Ram is the main conspirator.
The girl had gone missing from the woods near her home on January 10. Her body was found a week later.
The Crime Branch has so far arrested a police head constable, two Special Police officers and two local youths in the matter.
Angry with the arrests, local residents gathered under the banner of a newly floated outfit called Hindu Ekta Manch, led by state BJP state unit secretary Vijay Kumar, and are holding demonstrations pressing their demand for a CBI probe. They allege that the Crime Branch was conducting investigations under pressure from the Muslim community.
Two sitting ministers, Chander Parkash Ganga and Choudhary Lal Singh of BJP, had met the demonstrators recently and assured them of taking up their demand. CM Mehbooba Mufti, however, rejected the demand, saying the Crime Branch’s investigations are nearing completion and handing over the case to CBI at this juncture will delay justice.
On Monday, Hindu Ekta Manch took out a bike rally, carrying Tricolour and covering nearly 20 km from Jatwal to Hiranagar. People in Samba town observed a bandh and lawyers took out a procession in support of the demand.
This drew a sharp reaction from the CM. In multiple tweets, she stated, “The case is being investigated thoroughly…. Any rally or demonstration in support of the accused unethical. ”