Rasana gang-rape & murder || Will deliver justice: P&H HC; issues notices to J&K, 6 convicts, acquitted

Rasana gang-rape & murder Will deliver justice: P&H HC; issues notices to J&K, 6 convicts, acquitted

JAMMU: In a significant statement, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday said that it will hear on priority the petitions of the victim's family and the six convicts in the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Rasana village in Kathua, even as it issued notices to Jammu and Kashmir government and all the six convicts on the plea seeking enhanced punishment, besides to one accused—Vishal Jangotra who was acquitted by a lower court last month.

Recognising the gravity of the crime, the court also denied a longish adjournment sought both by J&K government and the convicts and fixed August 7 as next date of hearing.

"If we don't hear it, the case will hang. This court will deliver justice," the division bench comprising of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu made it clear refusing the adjournment.

and caretaker of the 'devasthanam' (temple) where the heinous crime took place in January 2018, along with Deepak Khajuria, a Special Police Officer, and Parvesh Kumar, a civilian to life imprisonment till last breath for various offences under the Ranbir Penal Code besides a fine of Rs one lakh each.

Three more-- Sub Inspector Anand Dutta, Head Constable Tilak Raj and SPO Surender Verma -- were convicted for destruction of evidence to cover up the crime and handed down five years in jail and Rs 50,000 fine each when the 367-day-long in-camera trial in the court of judge Tejwinder Singh had concluded, whereas one accused Vishal Jangotra—son of Sanjhi Ram was acquitted.

In the petition filed on July 10, the girl's father had sought enhancement of the convicts' sentence to capital punishment and life imprisonment, and also challenged the acquittal of Vishal Jangotra.

Both these pleas were listed for hearing today jointly along with the plea of one of the convicts seeking suspension of his sentence.

As the hearing on priority begin, senior advocate R.S. Cheema, appearing for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, told the court that an appeal was yet to be filed by the state and all the issues could be taken up together.

Appearing for one of the accused, another senior advocate J.S. Bedi also sought time to argue the case, citing voluminous records.

At this point, the bench led by Justice Sharma refused to grant a long date.

"If we don't hear it, the case will hang," it observed and fixed the next hearing in the case for August 7.

Simultaneously, the court issued notice to the accused and the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The court Thursday issued notices to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and all the accused in the matter," victim’s father’s counsel Utsav Bains said.

The court also issued a notice to Vishal Jangotra who was acquitted in the case by Pathankot court.

As per charge sheet filed in April last year, the girl was kidnapped on January 10 and was raped in captivity in a small village temple, whose caretaker was Sanjhi Ram, after keeping her sedated for four days.

She was later bludgeoned to death, it said.