Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said her government would not allow law to be obstructed and that justice would be delivered in the Kathua rape and murder case even as Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JHCBA) president BS Slathia termed the charge-sheet filed by the Crime Branch as lopsided and full of discrepancies.
“The law will not be obstructed by the irresponsible actions & statements of a group of people. Proper procedures are being followed, investigations are on the fast track & justice will be delivered,” the CM tweeted. The rape and murder of the nomadic Bakerwal community girl has created sharp divisions on communal lines with lawyers in Jammu demanding the case be handed over to the CBI.
Kathua lawyers on Monday had tried to prevent the Crime Branch from filing a charge-sheet in the case that claims the eight-year-old girl from Rasana in Kathua was given sedatives inside a prayer hall, raped thrice and killed in her native village.
Meanwhile, former CM Omar Abdullah criticised Mehbooba for not initiating action against two BJP ministers who had attended a rally organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch (HEM) — a local group spearheading the agitation for a CBI probe in the case.
“What rubbish! They are HER ministers, not the Hon(ourable) PM s. The way for her to express her displeasure is to sack them in Jammu, not come & leak her alleged displeasure in Delhi,” Omar wrote on his twitter handle. He was referring to tweets by a journalist with a TV channel, saying the CM had expressed displeasure over the BJP ministers’ action. The tweet was later deleted.
Omar also targeted the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JHCBA) president BS Slathia for “threatening” Kashmir-based leaders. The latter, talking to the media here, had accused ‘Kashmir-centric groups’ of “demonising” their stir.”
Won’t let law be impeded: Mehbooba Mufti
