Srinagar, April 16: Demand for capital punishment against rape and murder of minor Kathua girl gained momentum on Monday after people from different sections of the society held protests here to support the cause.
Members of High Court Bar Association (HCBA) besides seeking action against the lawyers who they claimed ashamed the noble profession by coming out in support of Asifa’s rapists demanded capital punishment to all the accused involved in heinous crime.
Chanting anti BJP slogans, dozens of the lawyers under the banner of HCBA assembled outside court and staged peaceful protest against incident.
“The aim of holding this peaceful protest was to express sympathies with the family of victim; we have been and will continue our support to Asifa. Our only demand is to award death penalty to the accused and stern actions against those who supported them,” said the protesting lawyers.
Students at Vitasta Law College Nowgam and Central University of Kashmir (CUK) also staged peaceful demonstrations at college campuses to protest what they said ‘barbarism’ meted out to innocent girl.
“The plight of innocent Asifa cannot be described in words, we really feel suffocated and want to cry aloud, we are with the family of that little angel and assure them our full support. We demand harshest punishment to the accused,” said Saika a protesting law student.
CUK students also demanded capital punishment to the accused and asked the government to go tough in such cases so that no one musters courage to tarnish the modesty of any girl.
“We appreciate the role of Crime Branch which cracked the case in record time. We also express our gratitude to everyone who stood in support of Asifa,” said they.
Hundreds of students including boys and girls from Leh Ladakh and Kargil held a candle light protest at Press Enclave this evening and vowed to extend their support to the victim’s family until justice is delivered to them.
Lal Chowk Traders and Medical Employees of Government Chest Diseases hospital held protest at Lal Chowk this morning and asked the state government to shift case from Kathua court.
“We cannot be silent over the rape and murder of our daughter, we have been demanding death punishment of the accused and this demand of ours must be fulfilled for the sake of humanity,” said they.
Meanwhile, students of Government Degree College for Women, Anantnag took to streets demanding justice for Asifa.
The students held a peaceful march and condemned the communalization of a brutal incident and demanded harshest punishment to culprits.
