Srinagar, Apr 14: 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.
Sources said the State government terminated the services of a police 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.
The minor girl from the Bakerwal community was kidnapped on January 10; taken to a temple in Rasana village in Kathua district, where 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.
Mehbooba Mufti today in a tweet earlier in the day expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court taking cognisance of an attempt by lawyers in Kathua to obstruct the Crime Branch in filing their charge-sheet in the case.
“Heartening to see the Supreme Court take cognisance of the attempted obstruction of justice by some lawyers in the brutal Kathua rape and murder case reminding us once again of the greatness of this nation,” she said.
“While it may seem to get bogged down by different discourses at times, it’s DNA of love and compassion always remains the same,” she added.
