Kathua rape case: Mehbooba Mufti welcomes decision by Pathankot court

Mehbooba Mufti

New Delhi: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday welcomed the judgment by the Pathankot court which convicted six out of seven accused in connection with the Kathua rape and murder case.

"Welcome the judgment. High time we stop playing politics over a heinous crime where an 8-year-old child was drugged, raped repeatedly & then bludgeoned to death. Hope loopholes in our judicial system are not exploited and culprits get exemplary punishment," Mufti's wrote on Twitter.

The case was related to the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, belonging to a nomadic Muslim tribe, who was abducted, drugged, gang-raped, tortured and killed on January 10 last year.

Earlier, the judge in the Pathankot court convicted village head Sanji Ram, two special police officers (SPOs) Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma, Head constable Tilak Raj, Anand Dutta, and Parvesh Kumar. Only Vishal, Sanjhi Ram's son has been acquitted.

The trial, which had begun in April 2018 against seven accused out of eight, concluded on June 3 last week.

The trial of a juvenile is yet to begin as the petition on his age is yet to be heard by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The Crime Branch had 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.

Top stories of the day

• Mumbai: One dead, five injured after car crashes into bus stop at Sewri
• BMC has got 30 complaints about mosquitoes from south Mumbai
• Mumbai Rains: Parts of the city witness first showers
• Video of woman beating elderly mother-in-law goes viral
• Mumbai: Police sweeper gets home after nine-year struggle
• Proposed Aarey Zoo in leopard corridor, say locals
• Mumbai Crime: Bikers who stole Rs 2.7 lakh from businessman held in Goregaon
• Mumbai: Biker hit by car, falls off Bandra's U bridge, dies
• Navi Mumbai: Pandavkada waterfall to be shut to tourists this monsoon
• The Dutch mystery: Mumbai man's 'abrupt run' makes him 'prime suspect' for Dutch cops
• IIT-Jodhpur professor rapes woman on pretext of offering job
• Padma Lakshmi, Amrita Singh: Female celebs who became mothers after 40
• Mumbai rains: These photos will surely put a smile on your face
• These dirt cheap hostels in India are perfect for backpackers!
• Do you know Karan Wahi was selected for the Under 19 cricket team alongside Virat Kohli?
• Ira Khan, Iulia Vantur and Sohail Khan at restaurant launch in Bandra
• Workout diaries: Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor spotted in Bandra
• Faf du Plessis' family vacation pictures will leave you awe-struck
• Did you know about these 12 cool brother duos in cricket?
• Alia Bhatt goes sans makeup again, and this time, it's for Sadak 2
• Noted actor Girish Karnad passes away at the age of 81
• World Cup 2019: MS Dhoni plays by the rules, no Balidaan logo on gloves
• Prisoners, Virat Kohli addicts: Crazy fans at World Cup 2019
• Virat Kohli: ODI series loss to Oz motivated us to do well at The Oval

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates