Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone and several other mainstream leaders have welcomed the verdict in Kathua gang-rape and murder case.
National Conference vice-president and former Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah tweeted, “Amen to that. The guilty deserve the most severepunishment possible under law. And to those politicians who defended theaccused, vilified the victim & threatened the legal system no words ofcondemnation are enough.”
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also welcomed the judgment.”Welcome the judgment. High time we stop playing politics over a heinouscrime where a 8-year-old child was drugged, raped repeatedly & thenbludgeoned to death. Hope loopholes in our judicial system are not exploited& culprits get exemplary punishment,” Mehbooba tweeted.
Mehbooba also hailed the Crime Branch of J&K Police,which investigated the case.
“Relieved about Kathua verdict. Credit goes to crime branchteam lead by IGP Mujtaba, SSP Jala, Addl SP Naveed , Dep SP Shwetambri,@DeepikaSRajawat & Talib for ensuring facts came to light despitehindrances. People all across toogalvanised support & stood up for this child,” she said in another tweet.
Former IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal hailedpolice for securing the conviction of the accused. “Congratulations to@JmuKmrPolice for getting Raisina Kathua rapists convicted. Politicians triedtheir best to sabotage the movement for justice to A (the victim). But theHonble Court and the law enforcement agencies stood their ground. Pray we neverhave to see such horror again,” Faesal tweeted.
Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone welcomed theverdict: “I welcome the decision of thecourt to convict most of the accused in the Kathua rape and murder case. Thoseconvicted must be given strict punishment to set a strong deterrent for theperpetrators of such heinous crimes. True justice for the 8-year-old will bewhen such crimes against the women stop in the society.”
NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said that thejudgment has increased their faith in the judiciary system of the country.”Nevertheless notwithstanding the politics that was played over the heinouscrime, the justice finally stands delivered. The incident had agonized the soulof every right thinking person. I feel deeply for the courageous family of thevictim girl, who has risen to become a symbol of women’s fight against sexualviolence. We believe the verdict should have been served much earlier, howevernow that it has been delivered, we welcome it,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC)president G A Mir hailed the Pathankote Court’s decision to convict six personsin horrendous rape and murder of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Rasana andsought exemplary punishment to culprits.
Mir also emphasized that the trial in similarly situatedcases of rapes and murders in the country and the state should be completed onfast-track basis to ensure timely justice to victims.
CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said, “Thegruesome gang-rape and murder is crime committed by the enemies of humanity.Crime is a crime irrespective of criminal’s caste, colour and creed.Unfortunately, some fringe elements had tried to communalize this incident butdue to intervention of judiciary, people of the state and the country theycould not succeed.”
Former MLA and AIP chairman, Er Rasheed while welcoming theverdict said: “It is a slap on the face of those forces who tried their best tocommunalize the heinous crime and even disgraced the sanctity of national flagto protect the criminals.”
Rasheed in a statement said the police officers whoinvestigated the case deserve appreciation as “despite all negative propagandaand campaign they didn’t succumb to the pressure and discharged theirprofessional duties in accordance with the law.”
“It is high time to take action against those who tried topolarise the situation in Jammu but people of Jammu rejected their inhuman andcommunal politics over a shameful incident,” he said.
He also said that the government must file an appeal to seekcapital punishment for the guilty as the nature of the crime demands so.
Former Union minister Prof. Saifuddin Soz also welcomed theverdict thus: “I heartily welcome the court’s decision to punish the rapistsand killers of 8 year old girl of Kathua, last year. It is a verdict whichdeserves to be appreciated by all citizens of India.”
He said that among others, the J&K Police deservesappreciation for an unbiased investigation of the case, especially at the earlystage of investigation. He added that the team of lawyers fighting for theinnocent child also deserves great appreciation, especially Advocate DipeekaRajawat, who had raised her voice against this crime, nationally andinternationally.
NC former MLA Shameema Firdous welcomed and verdict and saidthe convicts should be hanged.
Chairman PDF Hakeem Yaseen said it was heartening that”justice has been done to the victim”. He said the verdict is a bigrelief to the victim family and a big victory of judicial system in thecountry. He has also appreciated Jammu and Kashmir High Court for monitoringthe case and ensuring its free and fair trial.
BAR EXPRESSES DISSATISFACTION
Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Srinagar,expressed “dissatisfaction” over the sentence awarded to the convicted in theKathua case.
In a statement here today, the Bar said the three convictedpersons awarded life term, have committed a dastardly act, therefore, theydeserved death penalty.
“They were found guilty of conspiracy, kidnapping, drugging,gang-raping and killing of the victim eight year old Bakerwal girl. But theyhave been awarded life imprisonment and fine u/s 120-B, 302, 376-D, 328 and 360RPC,” it said.
The Bar said the court awarded them “lenient punishment” oflife imprisonment for no obvious reason when as a matter of fact they “deserveddeath penalty”.
The court has also convicted other three persons u/s 201 and343 RPC and sentenced them to five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs.50000/-. “Though these three persons were part of the conspiracy, being policeofficials they deserved the maximum punishment prescribed by Section 201 and343 RPC.”
The Court acquitted Vishal Jangotra, the son of Sanjeev Ram,the mastermind, by giving him the benefit of doubt, “to which he was notentitled under law”.
“However, notwithstanding the aforesaid lenient punishmentawarded to the accused persons, the judgment pronounced by the Pathankot Courtis a slap on the face of all those, who tried to communalize the crime, vilifythe victim and came out openly in support of the accused persons.”
“The verdict will prevent others from committing such actson the hapless victims and will serve as a deterrent against those who derivepleasure in committing such beastly acts,” the statement said.
“The Bar Association also appreciates the steps taken by thePathankot Court in completing the trial of the case within seventeen months,during the course of which it recorded the statement of 114 witnesses withoutavailing a single holiday during this period,” it said.
It hailed the court for pronouncing its verdict swiftly, soas to ensure justice to the victim family.