SRINAGAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party, National Conference, People's Democratic Party and the Jammu and Kashmir's Peoples Movement have welcomed the conviction of the six accused in the brutal rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua.
Senior State BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh told this newspaper that the party welcomes the court decision. “Everybody should respect the court verdict,” he said.
National Conference vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “Amen to that. The guilty deserve the most severe punishment possible under law. And to those politicians who defended the accused, vilified the victim & threatened the legal system no words of condemnation are enough”.
The Pathankot court today convicted six of the seven accused in the rape-and-murder case of the eight-year-old nomadic girl in Rasana area of Kathua district in January last year.
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The former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also welcomed the judgement. "Welcome the judgement. High time we stop playing politics over a heinous crime where a 8-year-old child was drugged, raped repeatedly & then bludgeoned to death. Hope loopholes in our judicial system are not exploited & culprits get exemplary punishment," Mehbooba tweeted.
Former IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal hailed police for securing the conviction of the accused. "Congratulations to @JmuKmrPolice for getting Raisina Kathua rapists convicted. Politicians tried their best to sabotage the movement for justice to A (the victim). But the Honble Court and the law enforcement agencies stood their ground. Pray we never have to see such horror again," Faesal tweeted.
Separatist-turned-mainstream politician and former BJP ally Sajjad Lone also welcomed the verdict. “Justice served in Kathua. This is real good news,” Sajad tweeted.