Kathua rape victim's family should get justice: Rajnath Singh

Amidst nationwide outrage over the rape and killing of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said her family should get justice.

The Home Minister also said he has spoken to BJP President Amit Shah and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on the issue.

"The victim's family should get justice," Singh told reporters when asked about the case.


The minor girl, who belonged to the nomadic Bakerwal Muslim community, had disappeared from her her house in Kathua on January 10. A week later, her body was found in the same area, and medical examination pointed towards sexual assault.

During initial investigations, the police arrested a juvenile. Later, the case was transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch.

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were also arrested, and later, five more people, including a former revenue official and the alleged conspirator, surrendered before the Special Investigation Team.

The Crime Branch, which probed the rape-and-killing case, filed a main charge sheet against seven people and a separate charge sheet against the juvenile in a court in Kathua district earlier this week.

Jammu has been on tenterhooks since the brutal incident. The bar associations have been opposing the action against the accused, alleging that the minority Dogras were being targeted.