The lone woman officer in the Crime Branch team that investigated the rape and murder of an eight-year-old child in Kathua in January this year said on Thursday it was very difficult to collect evidences from Rasana area in an atmosphere of extreme hostility.
“It was never easy for the team to go to Rasana and talk to provocative people and collect evidences from the spot,” Shwetambari Sharma told reporters.
Asked about the sexist remark directed at her—”she is woman, how much intelligent she could be”—by the laywer of the accused, Sharma said, “I don’t think I should answer this question. I believe the entire country knows the answer of this question. But I personally feel sorry about such people who are questioning my competence just because I am a woman.”
“I felt disturbed initially when I heard about the remark but then it is okay,” she said.
She asked people to have faith in law, asserting that the judiciary will do justice in the case.
She thanked director general of police SP Vaid for “reposing faith” in the team that included IGP Crime Branch Afhad-ul-Mujtaba, SSP Ramesh Kumar Jhalla and SP Naveed.