The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday issued notices to J&K Government and six men convicted in rape and murder of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Jammu’s Kathua district, on a plea by the victim’s father who has demanded death penalty for the convicts.
A bench comprising of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice HSSidhu also issued notice to Vishal Jangotra, son of Sanji Ram (main accused) inthe case.
The Pathankot lower court had acquitted Jangotra owing tofailure of prosecution to prove his involvement in the horrifying crime.
Pleading on behalf of the victim’s family, senior advocateRS Cheema and advocates RS Bains, Utsav Bain and MubeenFarooqi demandedenhancement in punishment to the convicts.
Advocate Farooqi said they challenged release of Jangotraand demanded enhancement in punishment to all six convicts.
The Court, after clubbing the petitions of victim’s fatherand defence lawyers, fixed August 7 as next date for hearing.
The main convict in the case, Sanji Ram, Special PoliceOfficers of J&K Police, Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar have already beenawarded life imprisonment till death by the special court in Pathankot.
The victim’s family has challenged the sentence and demandeddeath penalty to all convicts arguing that the case falls in ‘rarest of rare’category.
The sentence of five year imprisonment to three policeofficials, who destroyed evidences to help convicts, has also been challengedby the victim’s family, demanding life imprisonment for them.
The minor girl was kidnapped, gang-raped and tortured todeath by the convicts at Rasana village of Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua inJanuary 2018.