Kathua rape-murder: Mehbooba Mufti seeks fast track court, sacks accused cops

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who also holds the Home portfolio, on Saturday terminated the services of four policemen accused in the rape and murder of a minor in Kathua district.

The Chief Minister also wrote to the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, seeking a fast track court to conclude within 90 days the trial in the case that has caused a nation-wide outrage, official sources said here.

Informed sources said the state government terminated the services of a sub-inspector, a head constable and two Special Police Officers (SPOs) accused in the crime.

The development comes a day after the resignation of two Bharatiya Janata Party ministers in the coalition government -- Chaudhry Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga -- who had attended rallies in support of the accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua.

Mehbooba Mufti is in Srinagar to meet party legislators and senior ministers to discuss the future course of action on the case.

The minor girl from the Bakerwal community was kidnapped on January 10; taken to a temple in Rasana village in Kathua district.

Her attackers, which included temple official and policemen, drugged and gang raped her over days before finally killing her and dumping her body in a forest nearby, seven days later.

The girl was attacked to scare away the nomadic Muslim community out of the village.