The Punjab and Haryana High Court Thursday issued notices tothe Jammu and Kashmir government and six men convicted in the case of rape andmurder of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Kathua on a plea by her fatherseeking enhanced punishment for them.
The court also issued a notice to the accused who wasacquitted in the case by a lower court.
In the petition filed on July 10, the girl’s father hadsought enhancement of the convicts’ sentence to capital punishment and lifeimprisonment, and also challenged the acquittal of one accused.
“The court Thursday issued notices to the state ofJammu and Kashmir and all the accused in the matter,” petitioner’s counselUtsav Bains said.
The division bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and HarinderSingh Sidhu fixed August 7 as next date of hearing, the counsel said.
The father had prayed that the sentence of Sanji Ram, themastermind of the crime, Deepak Khajuria, a special police officer, and ParveshKumar should be enhanced from life imprisonment to capital punishment.
The petitioner had also prayed that the sentence of specialpolice officer Surendra Verma, head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector AnandDutta be enhanced from five years to life imprisonment.
The acquittal ofVishal Jangotra has also been challenged bythe petitioner.
Last month, a court in Pathankot had awarded lifeimprisonment till the last breath toSanji Ram, Deepak Khajuria and ParveshKumar.
They were convicted under sections of the Ranbir Penal Code(RPC) relating to criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, gangrape,destruction of evidence, drugging the victim and common intention.
The court, while acquitting Vishal Jangotra, son of SanjiRam, had sentenced three other accused–Anand Dutta, Tilak Raj and SurenderVerma to five-year jail.
As per charge sheet filed in April last year, the girl waskidnapped on January 10 and was raped in captivity in a small village temple,whose caretaker was Sanjhi Ram, after keeping her sedated for four days.
She was later bludgeoned to death, it said.