Kathua rape and murder case accused transferred to Gurdaspur Jail, Punjab: SC

Today the Hon’ble supreme court allowed the petition of the victim to transfer the case of an 8 year old girl who was Gang raped and Murdered at Kathua to Punjab.

Now the trial of the accused will be held in Pathankot court and the accused will be shifted to Gurudaspur Jail in Punjab.

The Hon’ble court has ordered for adequate security arrangements for a fair trial to be held in Punjab.

Later this year A 8 year old girl of Muslim nomadic community was brutally murdered and Gang raped in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir which caused lot of tension in the Muslim and Hindu Communities in the region.

Citing law and order situation in the area wherein the lawyer for the victim Ms. Deepika Rajawat was also not allowed to enter the court room allegedly by Kathua Bar association. The Hon’ble Supreme court today has passed a verdict to transfer the case to the other state i.e in Punjab.

The verdict of Supreme Court will now ease off the tension in the communities and will restore harmony. The safety and security of witnesses are of paramount importance when deciding such petitions.

The current law and order situation in the Kathua region is not conductive to conduct a fair trial and to uphold the principles of justice.

The political parties in Jammu region have made a communal issue of the incidence and many agitation and law and order problems have been caused in the region.

Indira Jaising Senior Advocate at Supreme Court is representing the victim family. It is astonishing to see that a community in Kathua region is shielding rapist. The act of accused person is highly commendable and shielding on such crime is a bigger crime.

By: Adv. Nitish Banka

Advocate Supreme Court of India