Kathua victim was sexually assaulted, her hymen was not intact: Crime Branch

SRINAGAR: The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday revealed that investigation into the rape and murder of minor nomad girl of Kathua has revealed that she was sexually assaulted and her hymen was not found intact.

“On the strength of opinion furnished by medical experts, it has been confirmed that the victim was found subjected to sexual assault by the accused,” said a spokesman of Crime Branch.

He said the medical expert has also opined that hymen of the victim was not found intact.

8-year-old nomad girl hailing from Rasana village of Kathua had gone mission while grazing ponies near her home on January 10. Her body with violence and torture marks was recovered a week later.

The Crime Branch, which investigated the cases for three months, has arrested eight people including the main accused and former revenue official Sanji Ram, his son Vishal Jangrotra, Shubam Sangra (juvenile),  SPO Deepak Khajuria , Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu , head constable Tilak Raj, sub inspector Anand Dutta and SPO Surinder Kumar for their involvement in the case.

The Crime Branch investigation has found that the plan to rape and murder the minor girl was hatched by Sanji Ram to evict the nomads from the village.

It has also revealed that the girl was kept, drugged, gangraped and killed in devasthan (a private temple belonging to Sanji Ram.)

The Crime Branch spokesman said they would be submitting the supplementary charge sheet against the accused in the court soon.

He further disclosed that the medical opinion has established beyond doubt that the victim was held in captivity and administered sedatives and her cause of death was asphyxia leading to cardio pulmonary arrest.

The trial of the case has started in the Kathua court and the next hearing would be held on April 28.

The brutal rape and murder has caused outrage across the country. However, the accused, their family members, the Rasana villagers, the Kathua Bar Association have been alleging that there is flaw in Crime Branch investigation and demanding handing over of probe to CBI.

However, the family members of the victim have said that they are very much satisfied with the Crime Branch investigation and demanded that court should award death penalty to all the people involved in the brutal rape and murder of minor girl.

The counsel of the victim family has also approached Supreme Court to seek transfer of trial of the case from State to anywhere in the country.