MOAZUM MUHAMMAD
Srinagar, July 19: Family members of teenage Tabinda Gani Lone, who was raped and murdered, at Langate in frontier district of Kupwara on July 20 in 2007, are still waiting for justice.        

 The gruesome incident had sent shockwaves across the Valley and had triggered spontaneous protests. Following the public outcry police had arrested four accused, including two non-locals, and had filed a challan against them. Police had claimed that accused had confessed their crime and prosecution’s case was very strong.  

 Three-years have elapsed since the day this gruesome incident shocked the Valley. Family members of the victim are of the opinion that the case is going on at “snail’s pace.”

 Giving the details of the case they said, “One of the accused, a local, had tried to outrage the modesty of another woman prior to this incident. However, she had escaped from his clutches. That woman has already deposed before the sessions court Kupwara as a witness.”

 Recalling that fateful day, victim’s father, Abdul Gani said, “On that day Tabinda left her early and told us that she will return before lunch.”  
 “While heading home from school, her brother met her on Batpora-Langate track. They talked to each other. Her brother, a government teacher, was going to offer Friday prayers at Langate.  When her brother returned, he did not find Tabinda and enquired about her,” recalled victim’s cousin, Muhammad Iqbal Shah.

 Shah said that after they failed to trace her they filed a missing report in Police Station Handwara and a police party headed by Dysp came along with them. “We received a phone call from one of my family members and they informed me that her school bag and shoes have been found from orchards. Only a few minutes later we received another call saying that her body had been found,” Shah added.  

 “We came to know that four persons had laid an ambush and abducted her from the orchards. They had raped and then murdered her. There were marks and stains on her body which revealed the nature and brutality of the crime,” family members added. 

 Incident sparked sporadic protests in the Kashmir Valley forcing the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to order an inquiry into the incident. “The Chief Minister had stated on the floor of Assembly the accused would be given exemplary punishment,” family members added. 

They said that they would continue to fight for justice till the perpetrators get exemplary punishment.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST