This cannot be happening to us constantly: Alia on Kathua rape case

Mumbai, Apr 18: Joining the growing chorus against the alleged rape and killing of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, actor Alia Bhatt today said she is heartbroken and angry over the incident.

Several Bollywood celebrities have reacted angrily over the incidents and have demanded justice for the victims of the Kathua, Unnao and Surat rape cases that have generated a massive outrage against the perpetrators.

Alia said it isn't only people from Bollywood who are upset but there is anger at a humanatarian level over the incident.

"I don't think only people in Bollywood are upset, I think all over the country people are upset, on a humanitarian level there is anger. It is a disgraceful, shameful and terrible thing that's happened," Alia told reporters.

"As a girl, as a woman, as a human being and as a part of the country, I feel very bad and hurt that something like this has happened."

The actor, who was speaking at the song launch of her upcoming film "Raazi", said she has stopped reading about the incident as it makes her more angry.

"There was a time when I was reading a lot about it but in the last two days, I have stopped because I thought if I keep reading about it, it's going to make me more and more upset and angry and really hurt.

"I just hope, from my heart, that justice is served. As a country, we should go out there and condemn it because this cannot be happening to us constantly," she added.

Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, an eight-year-old child from a minority nomadic community was allegedly held in captivity in a small village temple for a week in January this year during which she was kept sedated and sexually assaulted before being bludgeoned to death.

Eight persons, including a juvenile, were arrested in the case. The trial in the case began on Monday. In Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, a teenage girl alleged that she was raped by a ruling BJP MLA who has been arrested by the CBI, which is probing the case.

In Surat, the body of a girl, who could be between nine and 11 years of age, was found recently with doctors believing that she was possibly held captive, tortured and raped over a period of time.