Srinagar, August 29: Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP), expressed her sorrow over the rape and murder of a student in Kishtwar district. She has urged the Lieutenant Governor to transfer the case to the Crime Branch for a thorough investigation.
In a post on X, Mufti stated, “The incident involving the rape and murder of a schoolgirl in Kishtwar is not an isolated case of rising crimes against women. It has become a deep and festering wound on the conscience of our society. Even after ten days, the silence surrounding this brutal crime is amplifying the grief of the victim’s family and eroding public trust in the justice system.”
Mufti further emphasized, “If no concrete action is taken immediately and the perpetrators are not severely punished, such heinous crimes will continue unabated. I urge Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to promptly assign this case to the Crime Branch for a fair, transparent investigation within a specified timeframe.”
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested three suspects, including the main accused. SSP Naresh Singh of Kishtwar reported that one of the recently arrested individuals is a teacher from a government school, who has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. His brother and a daily wage worker from the district hospital are also implicated in the case. The SSP identified two of the accused as Mohammad Ishaq and Riaz Ahmed Sheikh, while the identity of the daily wage worker remains unknown.
According to police reports, the teacher allegedly raped the minor multiple times over several months, resulting in her pregnancy. Following an attempted abortion in the Chhatru area, the minor girl died on August 20. The Chhatru police were informed about her suspicious death on the same day. Initially, no formal complaint was filed, prompting the police to initiate an investigation to determine the cause of death.
The SSP noted that evidence emerged during the investigation indicating serious crimes had occurred. Consequently, the case was registered as an FIR at the Chhatru police station. The investigation also revealed that the teacher conspired with his brother to administer drugs for the abortion.
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