Srinagar, Mar 08 (KNS): Following the reports of arrest of police sub-inspector and head constable for their involvement in the rape and murder of Kathua minor, Inspector general Crime, Syed Afadul Mujtaba Thursday said that Crime Branch will submit the status report into the Kuthua rape and murder case to High Court on Friday.
IG Crime Branch Affadul Mujtaba late Thursday evening told KNS over phone that they will submit the status report to High Court on Friday. “Few arrests have been made related to Kuthua case,” Mujtaba said.
The rape and murder of Muslim girl has divided the ruling parties of the state. The BJP has been demanding transferring of case to the CBI and criticizing the role of the Crime Branch.
While the PDP has accused the BJP of “communalizing” the Kuthua incident.
On January 17, body of Muslim girl was found in the forests near Rasana, Hiranagar. A minor, girl had been missing for a week. According to police, she had been abducted and raped, while media reports later revealed that she had been even drugged to keep her from trying for help.
On January 23, the Mehbooba Mufti government had ordered a probe into the incident, and subsequently handed over the case to the Crime Branch of police.
The reports said that crime branch has arrested a police sub-inspector and a head constable for their involvement in destruction of crucial evidence.
Hawaldar Tilak Raj, posted at the Hiranagar police station, was arrested after it was prima facie established that he had washed Asifa's clothes that were soaked in blood and mud before sending them for forensic test. Sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who was the investigative officer, has been detained for questioning, reported one of the National news channel.
“We arrested a hawaldar and a sub-inspector is being questioned in connection with destruction of evidence," the report quoted director general of police, SP Vaid as having said.
Two special police officers, Deepak Khajuria and Surinder Verma, have already been arrested, while two more persons, including a juvenile, have also been arrested for the kidnapping, rape and murder of Asifa, mentioned the report.
“They claim that call details and mobile tower data place the accused on the location of crime, adding that there is evidence that drugs used to sedate Asifa was bought by Deepak Khajuria from a chemist shop in Kathua days before Asifa was kidnapped,” the report said.
In a letter to the director general of police, the crime branch has detailed lapses by the Kathua police. Besides destruction of evidence, they accuse the local police of not preserving the crime scene. No searches were carried out in the village even after Asifa's family filed a missing complaint, the crime branch said in its letter. (KNS)