The charge sheet filed by the Crime Branch in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district of Jammu has revealed the depravity of the crime. In January, the minor girl was sedated and held captive inside a small temple where she was raped repeatedly for a week before being bludgeoned to death, the charge sheet says.
The abduction, rape and killing of the Muslim Bakherwal girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area.
Here’s what we need to know about the accused and their role in the gang rape and murder of the eight-year-old:
Sanji Ram, 60: A retired revenue department official, he is the main conspirator who reportedly wanted to dislodge the nomadic Muslim Bakarwal community from his native Rasana village. He incited his nephew, an alleged minor, to abduct the eight-year-old as revenge for the Bakarwals having beaten up the boy in the past.
Sanji Ram’s nephew: Sanji Ram’s nephew who is 15, (19 according to a DNA report, said the charge sheet), was expelled from his school in Sikdi, Hiranagar, for unruly behaviour with girls. He is an alcoholic and a drug user, says the charge sheet. On January 13, he strangulated the girl to death before bludgeoning her face with a stone twice.
Deepak Khajuria: A special police officer, who had a bone to pick with the Bakarwal. Deepak convinced Sanji Ram’s nephew to kidnap the girl with the assurance that he would help him get through his board exams.
{{/usCountry}}Deepak Khajuria: A special police officer, who had a bone to pick with the Bakarwal. Deepak convinced Sanji Ram’s nephew to kidnap the girl with the assurance that he would help him get through his board exams.
{{/usCountry}}Parvesh Kumar, alias Mannu: A friend whom the juvenile took into confidence to execute the plan. On January 10, the juvenile and Parvesh drugged the girl in a forest. The juvenile raped her. Parvesh also attempted to rape her. They took the unconscious girl to Sanji Ram’s Devasthan (temple) and locked her up. There, she was drugged and gang-raped repeatedly.
Vishal Jangotra, alias Shamma: Sanji Ram’s son who studies in Meerut. He raped the girl with the juvenile who called him and asked him to return “in case he wanted to satisfy his lust”. On the morning of January 13, Vishal and the juvenile gang-raped the girl inside the Devasthan. On the same day, Parvesh, Vishal and the juvenile took the victim from the Devasthan to a nearby culvert, on Sanji Ram’s directions, to kill her.
Tilak Raj: A head constable, he struck a deal with Sanji Ram on January 12. He took ₹1.5 lakh from Sanji Ram’s sister, Tripta Devi, to scuttle the probe. Tripta and Tilak were good friends and classmates at the government primary school in Dhamiyal.
Anand Dutta: A sub inspector, he was paid ₹3 lakh in all by January 13 through Tilak. After the girl’s body was recovered on January 17, he was paid another ₹1 lakh and he asked the juvenile to stick to a tutored version of events. A deal was struck at ₹5 lakh for Anand and Tilak so they would tamper with evidence by washing the girl’s bloodstained clothes and leaving out other evidence.
Surinder Kumar: A special police officer, he conducted a recce of the surroundings of Sanji Ram’s Devasthan on January 14.