By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Jammu: On Saturday, April 7, nearly two dozen social, political and other organisations unanimously proposed Jammu Bandh on April 11 seeking fulfilment of several demands which include handing over the case of rape and murder of 8-year-old tribal girl to Central Bureau of Investigation. The other two demands being the revoke of a Tribal Department directive and deportation of Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees.
The demand comes in the backdrop of police arresting eight individuals including a juvenile, all from majority community for their involvement in the crime. The J&K Crime Branch has also submitted a charge sheet in court on Monday, April 9 against the seven accused in the crime under Sections 302, 376, 201 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code despite protest by the local bar association in Kathua.
The Kathua bar association has suspended work till April 12 and have called for Kathua Bandh on April 11.
“People of Jammu are feeling betrayed as they tried every political party but injustice and discrimination with them is increasing day by day so much so that now the people are fearing for their security and safety”, the representatives of organisations who have called for April 11 shutdown said.
The Bar Association in Chenab region of Jammu division has distanced itself from the shutdown call and has reiterated that elements in Jammu Bar Association are trying to derail the process of providing justice to Kathua rape and murder victim.
Criticising the decision of Bar Association Jammu strike, former vice president Bar Association Doda, Shaib Aman Khan said that the drama of strike is only organised to save the culprits and derail the entire process of investigation and court trial into the incident.
He said that demanding CBI inquiry into the incident by some striking advocates of Jammu Bar Association is not supported by all lawyers of Jammu.
“Only BJP and RSS backed lawyers are striking,” he said.
He further said that the striking lawyers should demand speedy court trial into the incident instead of demanding CBI inquiry.
“In normal cases, they say police always shields its people and when the police have worked honestly and arrested four of its own person then why are you seeking CBI probe?” tribal activist Talib Hussain told TwoCircles.net.
He further said that RSS is trying to vitiate the peaceful environment in Jammu.
On Thursday, January 18, an eight-year-old tribal girl was found murdered and raped, 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.