Two Minors Raped In Kashmir Within A Week, Protests Erupt

Kashmir valley is outraged over the alleged rape of a three-year-old child in Sumbal village of the northern district of Bandipora on May 9. Another incident of alleged rape of a minor has been reported in Ganderbal district on Tuesday. A police official told media that the girl was 16 years old and that the family of the girl complained about it on Sunday evening.

Senior superintendent of Ganderbal police station, Mohammad Khalil Poswal said that the accused is a resident of Harran area and that he is a neighbour of the survivor. He added that he has been arrested and police have also constituted a special team to fast-track the investigation into the case.

“A police team immediately arrived at the spot and arrested the accused person who is also a resident of Ganderbal. Accused remains in police custody,” said another police spokesperson to The Kashmir Walla.

The case has been registered under sections 451 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO).

Two cases of such intensity as rape have been reported in the valley only a few months after the entire country held protests and expressed condemnation of the Kathua gang rape and murder of a young tribal girl. As the reports of the alleged rape of a three-year-old started circulating, people of the valley started staging protests against the appalling sexual assault on children.

Governor Satyapal Malik also talked to religious leaders of different communities and asked them to condemn the gruesome act unanimously. He also urged them to request the people to maintain peace and not let anti-social elements to take advantage of the situation. The protesters, however, are demanding justice for the young child with death penalty for the accused. They also demand fast-track judgment in this case. Political parties across the board have also condemned the incident and demanded “exemplary punishment” for the accused and completion of investigations at the earliest.

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The police and paramilitary forces have been deployed by the state governor Malik to keep the protesters in limits. The administration is allegedly being extremely careful as the accused and the child apparently belong to two different sects.

Kashmir valley is outraged over the alleged rape of a three-year-old child in Sumbal village of the northern district of Bandipora on May 9. Another incident of alleged rape of a 16-year-old has been reported in Ganderbal district on Tuesday.

North Kashmir DIG Mohammad Sulieman Choudhary said, “A special team of senior police officials and prosecutors are collecting evidence bit by bit,” ET reported.

It has been reported that the incident happened on the evening of May 9 when the accused lured the child with chewing gum and took her to a nearby school and raped her. The child’s mother found her lying at the location of the crime an hour later. While returning from there, the child identified the accused loitering in the locality when the mother approached the nearby police station and registered a complaint. The police immediately took the man into custody, as reported, and organised a special team to investigate the matter.

While the school certificate of the accused claims that he is a minor, senior police officials said that they were treating him like an adult as shown in the preliminary medical tests.

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