Srinagar, Nov 1: The Jammu and Kashmir government has failed to bring the killers of Tabinda Gani Lone—raped and murdered at Langate in frontier district of Kupwara in 2007—to justice even after five years of the perpetration of crime.
 Interestingly, the state government recently facilitated a few students with the ‘Tabinda Gani State Award of Bravery’ while the victim family craves for justice.
 The darkness descended over the family when Tabinda—a school girl—was found dead in an orchard in Langate area on a Friday afternoon. Four of the abductors had raped her, the family said.
 Following the gruesome incident that sent shockwaves across Kashmir and triggered spontaneous protests, the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had ordered a probe into the shocking incident. “But the government’s claims to bring the perpetrators to justice have proved to be a mockery,” the family members said. “The state government that time promised that a fast-track trial would be held and even the then Chief Minister assured that a special team would be constituted to investigate the matter, and capital punishment would be awarded to the culprits,” he said.
 Soon after the incident in 2007 which evoked huge public outcry, police arrested four accused, including two non-locals, and filed a challan against them. “The accused have confessed their crime and the case of the prosecution is very strong,” police had said.
 But even after five years, the family said, the perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice. “There are some politicians who have become bottlenecks in the case and they don’t want the criminals to be prosecuted,” the family said.
 The family said although the then government announced a government job and monthly assistance of Rs 5000 but ex-gratia relief cannot compensate life and dignity of their daughter.
 Muhammad Iqbal Shah, Tabinda’s brother, said if the accused are involved in the case they should be punished to the quantum of the crime they have done. “And if they are not involved in the case, they should be set free. But something should be done. The case has been forgotten,” he said. “The case was discussed in the Legislative Assembly in 2007. But after the session was over not a single politician raised his voice,” he said.
 Iqbal said: “If the state government was thinking that the family would forget the case with the passage of time it is mistaken.”

Lastupdate on : Thu, 1 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 1 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST