Kathua Case: Prosecution all set to file three appeals in HC

New Delhi: The prosecution in the Kathua gang rape and murder case is all set to file three appeals in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the verdict of the lower court.

The prosecution will not only appeal against the acquittal of Vishal Jangotra, the lone accused acquitted by the trial court of all charges, it will also demand death penalty for three of the six accused awarded life imprisonment by the Pathankot court. They are Sanji Ram, father of Vishal Jangotra, Ram’s associate Parvesh Kumar, and a police constable Deepak Khajuria.

People with direct knowledge of the matter told ET that the chief secretary of the state has given a go-ahead to the prosecution to file the appeal(s). The file has been consigned to the Department of Law and Justice to finalise the appeals.


The prosecution will also challenge the decision of the lower court vide which it acquitted the remaining three accused of charges of hatching criminal conspiracy with the key accused (Sanji Ram and his associates) to facilitate the gang rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl of the nomadic Bakarwal community.

The trio—sub inspector Anand Dutta, head constable Tilak Raj and special police officer Surender Verma —were held guilty on charges of destruction of evidence by a Pathankot court. They were, however, acquitted of charges of criminal conspiracy.

The four prosecutors had sent their draft appeals to the crime branch, Jammu, which had forwarded the same to the J&K government seeking approval around a fortnight back.