Protests In Kashmir Over Kidnapping, Murder And 'Rape' Of 8-Year-Old Nomad Girl In Kathua

A police spokesman said “the Kathua kidnapping, murder case has been transferred to state Crime Branch for expeditious investigation.”

He said Additional Director General of Police, Crime Branch constituted special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the case.

“The SIT has been directed to finalize the investigation expeditiously and submit the progress reports in the office of Addl. Director General of Police, State Crime Branch, Headquarters on daily basis”, the spokesperson said.

With the police facing lot of criticism on social media over the handling of the case, the police said, “Some unscrupulous elements are updating wrong information on social media networks with malicious intent. Action under law is being taken against the rumour mongers who are floating such false and mischievous information.”

But anger is growing in the state over “brutal rape and murder” of the girl and subsequent arrest of lawyer activist Talib Hussain, who was protesting against it.

“Campaigning against the rape & murder of 8 year old Asifa has resulted in the arrest of Adv. Talib Hussain at Kathua. Now even campaigning against the crimes by civilians has been categorized as 'disturbing the law & order'. Militarized mindset results in these actions”, wrote human rights activist, Khurram Parvez on social media network Facebook.

The Women Commission Chairperson Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor told Outlook that the family of the girl informed her that the eight year old Aasifa was raped and murdered. The government handing the case to the State Crime Branch for investigation is the third probe ordered within a week.

The girl, belonged to a nomadic tribe, was found dead in a forest area in Kathua on Wednesday after seven days of her disappearance. Activists allege that the police did nothing to trace the girl when she was in captivity.

The police said a 15-year-old has been arrested and he has confessed that he had kidnapped the girl and held her captive inside a cowshed for seven days before murdering her.

However, the activists say that this couldn’t be an act of one person.

As the girl belonged to nomadic Gujjar tribe, on Monday evening, several members of the tribe lodged protest in Kathua against the murder on Monday. The police resorted to lathicharge and later took Talib Hussain, into custody. Hussain has been now released.

Opposition Congress said that an attempt was being to attempt to hush up the case as influential people are involved in the crime. A Congress leader said? it is not possible for a 15-year-old to kidnap a girl, hold her in captivity for a week inside a village, rape her and then dump her body 3 km away.

Meanwhile, senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani Tuesday said that “rape and murder of minor Kathua girl, Aasifa shook the collective conscience of people of Kashmir.”

He blamed state administration for their callous and careless approach. Geelani said that instead of taking swift action against culprits, Gujar leader protesting against the incident was arrested.

Geelani “denounced the bias role of Indian media and criticized their criminal silence” on the issue, saying “they are making hue and cry over petty matters but in this case they maintained silence and turned blind eye.”