Trial in Kathua rape case completed, court to declare order on 10 June

The Pathankot district and session court will pronounce its order in a case pertaining to rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua on June 10. The trial in the case was completed on Monday.

The eight-year-old girl, belonging to a nomadic Muslim tribe, was abducted, drugged, gang-raped, tortured and killed in January last year. The trial begins in April last year against seven accused out of eight. The trial of a juvenile is yet to begin.

The crime branch arrested village head Sanji Ram, his son Vishal, juvenile nephew and his friend Anand Dutta, and two special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma. Head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs. 4 lakh from Sanji Ram and destroyed crucial evidence, were also arrested by the crime branch.

In connection with the case, two First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed: one against eight people for allegedly being involved in the crime and another has been filed against a group of lawyers which had allegedly stopped the police from filing charge sheet against the eight accused. The case triggered public and political outrage and exposed cracks in the state's ruling coalition.

Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers leaders, Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh, have also resigned following accusations of attending a rally in support of the miscreants responsible for the crime. 

(With inputs from agencies.)