Kathua Girl’s Murder: “Cover-Up” Allegations Grow Louder

Srinagar—Even as the Asifa Bano murder case is being probed by the crime branch, accusations are growing louder about a cover-up being underway to shield the real culprits.

Activist and lawyer Talib Hussain, who had been put behind bars last week during a candle light vigil for the minor nomad girl from Kathua, on Thursday said that the age of a 15-year-old youth the police says it has arrested for the crime was being used to prevent the gaze from falling on the real perpetrators.

Due to the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, authorities cannot disclose the identity of minors taken into custody in connection with any criminal act.

At a press conference in Jammu, Talib Hussain, who is also the chairman of the All Tribal Coordination Committee, said that the persons involved in the crime were not being apprehended because of political influence.

The lawyer said that the names of some of the persons involved in the crime had been revealed.

 “But so far the police has not arrested even a single person from among them,” he said.

He said that circumstantial evidence on the basis of the accounts of doctors and the people who gave the 8-year-old tribal girl her final bath suggests that girl was “brutally raped.

 “Two of her ribs and one leg were broken. She was given electric shocks.  She was clubbed by stones,” he said.

 “The police said that she was kept in a cow shed for seven or eight days,” he said.

 “How is it possible that a 15-year-old can do all this without any help?” he asked.

 “The cowshed is located in the center of the village. It is not possible that villagers would not have got a whiff of it,” he said.

Hussain also questioned the police role in the case.

 “On January 10, the girl was kidnapped from Govrasa Hiranagar in Kathua, and the following day, her family goes to the Hiranagar police station to lodge a complaint,” he said. “But instead of lodging a complaint, the munshi and the SHO tell the family that this was government work and would take time.” he said.

According to Hussain, the police never really tried to search for the girl “except for fulfilling a formality

He said that the MLA for Hiranagar had tried to influence the SHO of the area with regard to the (arrested) boy’s age.

 “The most unfortunate thing happened when the MLA Hiranagar went into the police station Hiranagar and told the SHO to do something with the age of the arrested boy,” he said.

Hussain also said that the Hindu community of the area had supported them when the killing took place.

“But now the girl’s village Rassana is being denied water. Their animals are being denied water,” he said.

Meanwhile, at a separate press conference, the MLA from Rajouri, Chaudhary Qamar Hussain expressed apprehensions that the Kathua murder case would meet the same fate as the Aasiya-Neelofar case of Shopian.

“It was only after people raised a hue and cry that government woke up from slumber,” Chaudhary Qamar told the press in Rajouri. “Otherwise the intention of police was clear – and that was to let off the culprits.”

Meanwhile, the PDP legislator from Rajouri, Chaudhary Qamar Hussain, said that the Kathua murder case would meet the same fate as the Aasiya-Neelofar case of Shopian.  

At a press conference in Rajouri, Qamar Hussain said that it was only after the people raised a hue and cry that the government woke up.

Otherwise the intention of police was clear and that was to let off the culprits.

 “The case was handed over to the crime branch to hoodwink the people. It will meet the same fate as the Aasiya Neelofar case of Shoian in South Kashmir,” he said.

“Why are the suspects not being questioned? Why is the government not taking the case seriously and why does it rely on statements only?” he asked.

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