Kathua case: Supreme Court asks J-K govt to protect victim's kin, lawyer

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected attempts in court to politicise the Kathua rape case and ordered the Jammu and Kashmir government to respond to a plea by the victim’s family to transfer the trial of the case outside the state and provide protection to her relatives and their lawyer.

The case of the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl has become a flashpoint in the state with attempts being made by a section of the bar, with support of right-wingers, to intimidate Deepika Singh, who is appearing for the victim’s family.

The lawyer moved the top court seeking security for herself and her family. The biological father of the girl also moved the court seeking transfer of trial of the case outside the state in the interest of a fair trial. The atmosphere in Kathua was vitiated, the family said.


Police were earlier prevented from filing the charge-sheet with the local bar association backing the accused, the family charged. The family said it was satisfied with the police probe and didn’t want to transfer the case any other entities, a plea raised by Panther’s Party chief Bhim Singh.

The girl’s father also sought more security in the juvenile home which houses one of the accused.

“The entire case turns on his confession,” senior advocate Indira Jaising said, seeking greater security outside the home. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the state to provide plainclothes security to the family members, the lawyer and any witnesses in the case. The bench directed that security be beefed up outside the juvenile home.