Kathua Girl’s Murder: Crime Branch To Probe, Forms SIT

Srinagar—After days of opposition protests, the coalition government on Tuesday handed the Asifa Bano murder case over to the Crime Branch of the state police, saying that directions had been issued for expedited investigation.

Minister for revenue and parliamentary affairs Abdul Rahman Veeri told the state Assembly that the government had accorded sanction to transfer the case to the crime branch.

“Following orders from the Police headquarters to transfer the case, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted and has been directed to finalize the investigation expeditiously and submit the progress reports in the office of Additional Director General of Police, State Crime Branch, Headquarters on daily basis,” a police statement said .

“The SIT, headed by Additional SP, Crime Branch, Kashmir, Peerzada Naveed, includes DySP Crime Branch Jammu, Nissar Hussain, DySP Crime Branch, Jammu, Shetambari Sharma, Irfan Wani, and Tariq Ahmad,” it said

Eight-year-old Asifa Bano had gone missing on January 10 and her body was found on January 17 near her native village Rassana in Hiranagar, Kathua.

The local police has said that it has arrested one minor, and that he had confessed to having committed the crime.

The arrest came over a week after the girl’s family reported her disappearance to the Hiranagar police, prompting vehement protests by the opposition in the assembly, accusing the police of hushing up the case.

One Station House Officer (SHO) has been placed under suspension following public outcry against the approach of the police.

The police also said that some unscrupulous elements were 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,” a police spokesman said.

Meanwhile, amid massive protests by the opposition, the police released social activist Advocate Talib Husain, arrested on Sunday evening at Kathua highway. The activist has been at the forefront of protests seeking justice for the girl.

In a related development, people staged protests in Poonch and Anantnag districts, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the girl’s murder and ‘rape’.

Reports said that students of Degree College Poonch staged a protest demonstration seeking justice for the minor girl.

Shouting slogans, the students demanded strict action against culprits. The protest ended peacefully.

Meanwhile, scores of people from Gujjar community including relatives of the minor girl held a protest near Deputy Commissioner’s office in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

Holding placards, the protesters demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. “Those responsible should be hanged,” they demanded.

“We will intensify protests and our whole community will come on roads if authorities fail to provide justice to the family,” the protesters warned. -inputs from GNS

Collective conscience of Kashmiris shaken: Geelani

Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani, on Tuesday said that ‘rape’ and murder of minor Kathua girl, Asifa, has shaken the collective conscience of people of Kashmir.

Blaming state administration for their “callous and careless approach”, Geelani said that instead of taking swift action against culprits, people and Gujar leader, protesting against the gruesome incident, were arrested. “It illustrates their bigoted mindset.”

Geelani expressed heartfelt sympathies with the grieved family of minor and lamented police authorities for their “uncalled and unjustified action against the people participating in the Rasm-e-Chaharum of the victim.”

The octogenarian leader said that people in a peaceful manner were protesting against the brutal killing but they were manhandled, arrested.

“People whose hands are soaked in blood of innocents are responsible for humiliating and massacre of common people,” he said. .

Meanwhile, Geelani also expressed his deep anguish and sorrow and denounced the “biased role of Indian media and criticized their criminal silence.” “They are making hue and cry over petty matters but in this case, they maintained silence and turned blind eye.”

He said people in outside states vandalize and ransack properties, however brute force is not used against them. “Quite contrary to this people in state, on mere pretext, they are arrested and subjected to humiliation and brute force.”

Geelani also expressed his deep anguish and sorrow “at the snail’s pace proceedings in 8-year old girl’s murder case” and urged the stringent action against those involved in her ‘rape’ and murder.

Referring to the recent statement of Mehbooba Mufti wherein she has said that “women in state are safe”, Geelani said that it “is an illusion and instead women are molested, disrespected and humiliated by men in uniform.”

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