Mehbooba Mufti: Justice will be ensured in Kathua rape-and-murder case

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said it will be ensured that justice is done in the rape-and-murder case of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district. The PDP-BJP dispensation in the state, which has announced a probe into the case by the crime branch, has come under criticism from opposition National Conference (NC) which alleged that the state government was trying to shield the accused.

A few days back, NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar had alleged, "Following this tragedy, the revelation that evidence was destroyed clearly indicates towards a deep-rooted conspiracy being hatched at the highest quarters to save the culprits and the participation of two cabinet ministers in the Hindu Ekta Manch event raises a lot of questions in this context." "Justice will be delivered in the case," Mehbooba told reporters on sidelines of an International Buyer-Seller meet at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre here.

Meanwhile, state minister for finance and education Syed Altaf Bukhari said there will be no comprise in delivering justice to the victim. "Let me assure you that there will be no compromise on delivering justice in this case... the PDP and the BJP stand united in ensuring justice," he said. The body of the eight-year-old girl was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she had gone missing while grazing horses. On January 23, the government handed over the case to the state police's crime branch which arrested a Special Police Officer (SPO) in February for his alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of the girl.

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