Kathua rape and murder case: Victim’s family warns of agitation if CBI probe is ordered

UDHAMPUR: The girl’s mother said, “We have come to know that it was Sanji Ram who hit her with a stone and strangulated her to death when she did not die after being hit by the stone.”

The biological father of the girl told The New Indian Express that they wanted justice for the girl.
He said they were satisfied with the Crime Branch probe and would request the court to award the death sentence to the perpetrators. He warned that they would launch an agitation if the government handed over investigation of the case to the CBI.

The Crime Branch has produced a challan against eight accused. It has confirmed that Sanji Ram paid Rs 4 lakh to two police officials to destroy evidence.

“We are in pain. We have lost the girl and we fully trust the Crime Branch investigation and want the court to hang all the eight so that none dares to rape any daughter in future,” the mother said.

When told that locals in Rasana are demanding a CBI probe, the woman said, “We don’t want a CBI probe. We fear Sanji Ram may attempt to bribe the CBI officials the way he did with policemen to hide their brutal crime.”

Petition in SC to seek trial outside J&K

Jammu: The family of the Kathua rape victim is filing a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday seeking transfer of the trial out of Jammu and Kashmir. Advocate Deepika Thusso and advocate-turned-Gujjar and Bakarwal leader Talib Hussain would be filing the petition, in which attempts to communalise the situation in Jammu will be cited as one of the reasons for wanting the trial out of J&K.

“We want a fair and impartial trial. It is not possible in Kathua, where lawyers tried to prevent the filing of a charge sheet. We want shifting of trial anywhere outside the state,” the girl’s father said.