Nomad Girl Raped And Killed In Jammu Was Held Captive In Prayer Hall Run By Accused, Confirm Forensic Tests

 Eight-year-old Asifa from the Bakherwal community in Jammu, who was allegedly raped and murdered early this year, was held captive under the influence of sedatives in a Hindu prayer hall maintained by one of the accused, forensic tests have revealed.

 Forensic tests confirm the strands of hair found in the “devsthan” (prayer hall) at Rasana village in Kathua near Jammu match with the DNA of the victim, reported The Indian Express.

 The prayer hall is reportedly being maintained by 60-year-old Sanji Ram, a former revenue official, who is allegedly the main conspirator in the rape and murder of the victim.

 Ram had surrendered to the police on March 20, two months after the body of the victim was recovered from Rasana forest in Kathua on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the area.

When Asifa’s body was brought to a nearby village, a group of youths disallowed her burial in the graveyard owned by Asifa’s family and relatives. They belonged to the Hindu right-wing—and threatened of communal clashes if she was buried there, acco­rding to the local All Tribal Coordination Committee (ATCC). “They came up with tridents, didn’t allow the family to bury Asifa in the graveyard,” says Nazakat Khatana, vice-c­hairman of the body.

The girl was later buried eight km away, in another village. “Not allowing to bury her in the ancestral graveyard conveyed the message that the tribal’s Gujjars have no rights in the village or on their own land,” says Khatana. “They actually want to drive all the nomads away from Hiranagar-Kathua belt.”

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 Investigation has revealed that it was a pre-planned killing carried out with the intention of instilling fear among the Bakharwal nomads residing in the area and driving them out.

 On January 23, the state government handed over the case to the state police's crime branch which which formed an SIT and arrested six people, including two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destruction of evidence.

 Right-wing outfit Hindu Ekta Manch had taken out protest march demanding the release of the SPO. “It will disturb the situation. We are against the murder of the minor nomad girl but we don’t want our men to be framed,” a report by theRising Kashmir quoted a leader of the outfit as saying.

 Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hit out at the alleged use of national flag in the demonstrations held by the protesters. "Horrified by their use of our national flag in these demonstrations, this is nothing short of desecration. The accused has been arrested & the law will follow its course," she had said.

 One of the arrested persons, who was said to be a juvenile, was subjected to medical examination at government medical college here on March 7 which opined that he was over 19-year-old.

 The crime branch submitted a detailed status report to the High Court on March 9 which is monitoring the case.

 The case has divided the ruling coalition partners, PDP and BJP, over the demand of a section of people to hand over the case to the CBI for a thorough investigation.

 On March 8, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti rejected the demand of BJP for a CBI investigation into the case saying 95 per cent of the probe has been completed.

(Inputs from agencies)