Kathua victim’s father hopeful of justice after Cabinet approves ordinance for death penalty

He said a child is a child and there is no religion -- Hindu or Muslim -- in his being.

The father of an eight-year-old girl, who was raped and murdered in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir in January, on Saturday expressed hope of getting justice, after the Union Cabinet introduced death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years.

A woman holds a placard as she takes part in a protest demanding justice in the rape and murder case of eight-year-old girl in Jammu’s Kathua district, in Srinagar, on April 14.(Waseem AndrabiHT file photo)

“It is good if the government has passed the ordinance to award death penalty to rape convicts of children below the age of 12 years…we are hopeful of getting justice,” the girl’s biological father said. 

“We are simple people and do not know the nitty-gritty of such decisions.” he said.

He, however, said whatever the government is doing is good.   

He said a child is a child and there is no religion -- Hindu or Muslim -- in his being. 

His daughter was found dead in a forest in Kathua district in January, a week after she went missing while grazing horses. 

Crime Branch of the local police, which is investigating the case, had arrested eight persons and accused six of them, including a special police officer and a juvenile of holding her captive inside a small temple, raping her repeatedly before killing her.   

A sub-inspector and a head constable are the other two accused in the case and charged with destroying evidence for monetary benefits.

(This story has not been modified from its original version)