9-Year-Old Gang-Raped, Strangled, Eyes Gouged Out In Kashmir: Police
SRINAGAR: A nine-year-old girl was gang-raped allegedly by her stepbrother and his friends, who were instigated by her stepmother, in Kashmir's Baramulla. The child's eyes were gouged out and her body was burnt with acid before being dumped in a forest near her home in Uri, said the police, revealing details of an unspeakable crime.
The child's stepmother, 14-year-old stepbrother and three others have been arrested. The police call it an open-and-shut case. The decomposed body of the girl was found in the forest on Sunday last.
"We started investigation immediately," said Mir Imtiyaz Hussain, a senior police officer at Baramulla. A special team formed to investigate the murder uncovered a horrifying story of jealousy and revenge within a family.
"It was found that the stepmother had been nursing a grudge against the non-local wife of her husband, and her children," said Mr Hussain.
During interrogation, the girl's stepmother allegedly said her husband would spend more time with his second wife and the nine-year-old was closest to him among all his children.
The police said tension had been rising in the family.
"The woman conspired to kill her stepdaughter. She took her to the nearby jungle where she asked her 14-year-old son to rape the girl," the police officer said. "The girl was gang-raped at the instance of her stepmother and in her presence," Mr Hussain said.
The stepmother strangled the girl and her son struck her head with an axe, killing her on the spot, the police officer said.
"After that one of the accused went back home and brought acid in a bottle. A 19-year-old man gouged out her eyes with a sharp knife and poured acid on her body," Mr Hussain said.
The friends of the woman's son dumped the body in the bushes and covered it with pine twigs and branches. "The axe and knife have been recovered on information from the accused," the police officer said.
A plastic can containing acid has also been found. The police said they are building a watertight case.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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BJP responsible for Sabarimala women entry verdict, LDF's stand same as 2007 affidavit: Min Vasavan
Kottayam (Kerala) (PTI): Kerala Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan on Saturday blamed the BJP for the 2018 Supreme Court verdict permitting women's entry into Sabarimala and said the LDF government's current stand remains the same as the affidavit filed before the apex court in 2007.
He was responding to reporters' queries regarding the affidavit to be filed by the state government before the nine-member bench of the Supreme Court clarifying its position on the entry of women of menstruating age into the hill shrine.
He said the 2018 verdict came after women lawyers associated with the BJP approached the Supreme Court.
"We had filed an affidavit in 2007 stating that the issue should be decided by experts in ritualistic matters. We are still maintaining that stand," he said.
The Supreme Court has not sought the state government's position on women's entry now, but has asked for clarification on certain constitutional issues, he added.
"We have assigned the Advocate General and constitutional experts in the Supreme Court to give the reply. They will respond accordingly," the minister said.
He added that if the court seeks the state government's stand on the matter, it would be presented, noting that the LDF government had already stated its position in the affidavit filed in 2007.
"The party's (CPI-M) stand is the same as the government's. The government is with the devotees. We have always been with the devotees," he said.
The minister also criticised the opposition, alleging that they repeatedly approach courts on various issues and return with adverse responses.
"They go to court on several matters and come back with adverse responses. Has there been an opposition in Kerala that has faced so many setbacks from courts," he asked.
When asked about the state government’s actions in 2018 following the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter Sabarimala, he said no such interpretation should be made as the government had already clarified its stand in the 2007 affidavit.
"If the Supreme Court gives any verdict, can we say anything against it. The women’s entry was the decision of the apex court of the country," he said.
He said the 2018 verdict came after women lawyers associated with the BJP approached the SC.
"They are now hiding. Actually they were standing for it. But here they are taking a different stand," he said.
He further alleged that attempts to facilitate women's entry in 2018 were made by BJP activists.
"It was BJP's young lawyers who filed the case and received the verdict. They then called it a historic judgement. But after some stage, they changed their position," he claimed.
He said the LDF government's position was that it respects the Supreme Court's verdict.
"But in our affidavit filed in 2007 we clearly stated that the entry of women of menstruating age should be decided by experts in ritualistic matters," he said.
He denied allegations that the state government had taken special interest in facilitating the entry of women of menstruating age into Sabarimala in 2018.
The Supreme Court in 2018 permitted women of menstruating age to enter the Sabarimala temple, following which Kerala witnessed widespread protests.
Currently, the Supreme Court is considering appeals against the earlier verdict.
