Srinagar: The recent rape and brutal murder of an 8-year-old nomad girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua took a strange turn when large number of people of the frontier district took to the streets, waving the tricolour and demanding unconditional release of the main accused, who is a special police officer.
The photographs of the protest march went viral on social media and chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, shocked over the abuse of the national flag, hit out at the protesters and reiterated that the law will take its own course.
She tweeted, “Appalled by the marches & protests in defence of the recently apprehended rapist in Kathua. Also horrified by their use of our national flag in these demonstrations, this is nothing short of desecration. The accused has been arrested & the law will follow its course.”
Aasifa, a nomadic Bakerwal (herdsmen) girl, went missing while grazing horses in Rasana village of Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua on January 17. A week later, her body was found in woods near her village. The alleged rape and murder of the minor evoked widespread outrage in Jammu and Kashmir. Protests were held in different parts of the state against the gory act.
