Following the incident in which some lawyers were seen trying to prevent a police team from filing a chargesheet in the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, the victim's lawyer has alleged that she has been threatened by Jammu Bar Association President B.S. Salathia against appearing in the case. "He met me at Jammu and Kashmir High Court, openly extended threats and said please don't appear. He is now lying that I folded my hands and requested. Today, I have lost all my respect towards him," said D.S. Rajawat, the counsel.
Earlier, a case was registered after some lawyers tried to prevent a police team from filing a charge sheet in the Kathua case.
"We saw how local lawyers stopped crime branch from filing charge-sheet.. Why are you trying to protect the accused? Are they trying to satisfy an ulterior motive. They are saying that crime branch has not investigated properly," Rajawat added.
Jammu has been tense since the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl belonging to the nomadic Muslim Bakerwal community in Kathua. The case has taken an unusual turn in Jammu with a few lawyers extending support for the accused in the case.
The police has arrested eight persons in the case but the Bar Association has opposed the action alleging "targeting of minority Dogras".
Some of the arrested accused in the Kathua case belonged to Hindu Ekta Manch, a right wing group. The BJP has publicly distanced itself from the group but the party has found it difficult to explain presence of two of its ministers at a rally organised in support of the accused.
The abduction, rape and killing of the Bakherwal girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area, reveals the 15-page chargesheet filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch in the chief judicial magistrate's court here Monday.
It lists the caretaker of the Devisthan, a small temple, in Rassana village in Kathua, about 90 km from here, as the main conspirator behind the abduction, rape and killing.
Sanji Ram was allegedly joined by special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma, friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu, Ram's nephew, a juvenile, and his son Vishal Jangotra alias "Shamma".
The Kathua chargesheet also names investigating officers head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Ram and destroyed crucial evidence.
(With inputs from agencies)