By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Kathua: As protests against the alleged rape and murder of an eight-year-old tribal girl intensify across the Jammu and Kashmir, tribal activist Talib Hussain has claimed that the water supply to few Gujjar-dominated villages has been blocked by people from the majority community and alleged that the incident is being given a communal colour.
“When we were protesting at the Chann Morian chowk in Kathua town on January 21, the local non-Muslim community stood for us. When we were being beaten by the police, they saved us from the wrath of the police,” Talib said.
“Today the same people have warned our community not to fill water at the hand pumps and tanks installed by the government in their localities and water supply has been blocked to Rasana village, where the family of victim girl lives. Bandhi Bakarwal Basti is also waterless since January 17,” he added.
On Wednesday, January 17, Jammu and Kashmir woke up to a terrible news of the death of an eight-year-old tribal girl, a week after she went missing while doing household chores. The girl belonging to the nomadic Bakarwal community was found dead in Rasana village of Hiranagar, in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir and the family has alleged that she was raped before the murder.
On Sunday, January 21, when a group of protesters was taking out a candlelight march on Kathua highway, the police deployed used tear gas shells and baton charged to disperse the protesters and arrested Advocate Talib Hussain, a tribal activist. The police alleged Talib of creating “law and order” problem.
The arrest of activists led to an outrage in the Legislative assembly which prompted the government to release him on Tuesday, January 23. Talib has also alleged local BJP MLA of trying to influence the case by asking the local SHO to take care of the age of the accused. “The day when police declared the involvement of a 15-year-old boy, I have a witness who was in the police station when MLA Hiranagar, Kuldeep Raj Verma arrived and was telling the SHO who was later suspended, to take care of the age of the accused boy,” he claimed.
Kuldeep Raj Verma, MLA Hiranagar while speaking with TwoCircles.net said that the allegations against him are baseless. “I never went to the police station and these are all lies being spread out that I am trying to influence the case. What has happened is very unfortunate and it shouldn’t happen with any girl, either it is Hindu, Muslim, Christian or anyone.
“I am saying this since the start that the incident shouldn’t be made communal and the allegation of water blockage is baseless. The issue is being politicised,” he added.
On Friday, January 19, the Minister for Revenue & Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri informed the legislative assembly that the police have arrested a 15-year-old boy who is accused and he has confessed to the crime. He said the investigation conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by SDPO border Chadwal revealed that the accused kidnapped the minor girl and put her in a nearby cowshed at village Rasana, where he attempted to rape her and when she resisted, he killed her by way of strangulation but Talib feels that it is not possible for a 15-year-old boy to commit such a brutal crime.
“The circumstantial evidence says that she was brutally raped and then murdered. Three of her ribs were broken, a leg fractured and bites marks all over the body and an attempt were made to crush her with the stones and she had marks on her body as if she was given electric shocks. We questioned Kathua police that how was it possible for a 15-year-old boy to single-handedly commit such a brutal crime,” Talib said.
The activist has been demanding a judicial probe into the matter but the Parliamentary Affairs minister, Abdul Rehman Veeri on Tuesday, January 23, informed the house that the case of the tribal girl has been handed over to the Crime Branch, three days after a magisterial inquiry was ordered.
On Monday, January 29, the parents of victim girl met J&K Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti and sought expeditious probe into the killing of their daughter.