JAMMU A board of doctors set up by the Medical Superintendent of the medical college in Jammu to ascertain the cause of death of the eight-year-old Kathua rape and murder victim has confirmed she died of asphyxiation and was sexually assaulted, reports said on Saturday.
As per reports the board was constituted on the request of the SHO, Hiranagar police station.
The reports said that the evidence was submitted in the court of Dr Tejwinder Singh, Pathankot District and Sessions Judge.
The minor girl, from the minority Bakkerwal community, was allegedly abducted, raped and murdered in January this year.
The body of the girl, from the Bakerwal community, was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the forest area.
On January 23, the government had handed over the case to the crime branch of the state police which formed a Special Investigation Team and arrested eight people including two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destruction of evidence.
Among the accused, former revenue official and the alleged conspirator, Sanji Ram (60), surrendered before the crime branch on March 20 after his son, Vishal, was arrested from Uttar Pradesh.
According to crime branch, following a medical examination on March 7, the accused who was thought to be a juvenile, was found to be 19 years old.