A local court here on Monday convicted six people accused inthe rape and murder of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Jammu and Kashmir’sKathua. Following is the time line of the case that shook the nation:
January 10, 2018: Eight-year-old girl belonging to Bakarwaltribe goes missing in Rasana village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua districtwhile grazing cattle.
January 12, 2018: FIR is registered on the complaint ofvictim’s father at Hiranagar police station.
January 17, 2018: Body of the girl is found. Post mortemconfirms gang rape and murder.
January 22, 2018: Case is handed over to Jammu and Kashmircrime branch.
February 16, 2018: A right-wing group, Hindu Ekta Manch,holds protests in support of one of the accused.
March 1, 2018: Two ministers of the BJP, part of the state’sruling coalition with the PDP, Chander Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh, attend arally organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch after the arrest of nephew of acaretaker of a ‘devisathan’ (temple) in connection with the kidnapping andrape.
April 9, 2018: The police file the chargesheet before theKathua court against against seven of the eight accused.
April 10, 2018: Charge sheet filed against eighth accusedwho had claimed to be a juvenile. The police file an FIR against lawyers forprotesting and attempting to prevent the crime branch officials from filing thecharge sheet in the court on April 9.
April 14, 2018: BJP ministers who attended the Hindu EktaManch rally resign from the state Cabinet. UN Secretary General AntonioGuterres terms the crime “horrific” and asks authorities to deliverjustice.
April 16, 2018: Trial begins before the Principal SessionsCourt judge, Kathua. All accused plead ‘not guilty’.
May 7, 2018: The Supreme Court shifts the case from Kathuato Pathankot in Punjab. The apex court directs the trial to be fast-tracked andheld in-camera, away from media gaze.
June 3, 2019: Trial concludes.