SrinagarThe Crime Branch on Saturday said it rejects reports in a section of media regarding the Kathua rape-murder case and reiterated that medical experts had confirmed the sedation, sexual assault and subsequent murder of the eight-year-old girl at Kathua in January this year.
The crime branch also said it is in the process of submitting a supplementary charge sheet in the case, a spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Police said today.
However, the spokesperson did not mention the date when the supplementary charge sheet would be filed.
The crime branch submitted a charge sheet in the case against seven of the eight accused in the case at a court in Kathua on April 9, amid protest by local lawyers. The next day it filed a separate charge sheet against another accused, who was earlier said to be a juvenile.
The Crime Branch statement on the case comes in the wake of reports in print and electronic media as well as social media regarding the case registered at the Hiranagar police station in Kathua district.
“However, for the last couple of days, a section of print/electronic media has published/broadcast information/reports shared on the social media sites as well, which are far from truth,” the Crime Branch said.
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“Constrained by the reports, it is to place on record that on the basis of opinion furnished by medical experts, it was confirmed that the victim was found subjected to sexual assault by the accused.
“Accordingly, on the basis of medical opinion, Section 376 (D) of the Ranbir Penal Code was added in the case. The medical opinion also established beyond doubt that the victim was held in captivity and administered sedatives and the cause of her death was asphyxia leading to cardiopulmonary arrest,” it added.
The Crime Branch had presented a chargesheet in the court of law after completion of all legal formalities of investigation. The investigating agency is also in the process of submitting a supplementary chargesheet.
Section 376 (D) deals with gang Rape followed by death or persistent vegetative state of the victim and prescribes punishment with imprisonment for life.
The girl, belonging to a Bakarwal Muslim family, was kidnapped on January 10 and her body found on January 17 near Rasana village in Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua district.
Police investigations revealed she was held captive inside a temple, sedated and repeatedly raped before her murder. Police has filed chargesheet against eight persons in the case.
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