Mumbai students want culprits in Unnao, Kathua cases hanged

College students across the city and suburbs made their voices heard as they demanded justice for the victims in the Kathua and Unnao cases.

On Saturday, students at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Deonar held a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the eight-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir. The students marched from the new campus to the old campus.

They also held a protest rally on Sunday to demand punishment for the culprits.

On Sunday, around 50 students from MH Saboo Siddik Polytechnic, Mumbra, organised a rally, demanding justice for the victim. “Our teacher told us about the incident and we also learnt about it through news media. So we thought that she should get justice,” said a student participant.

Members of Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), along with its parent organisation Jamat-e-Islami Hind held protests outside Kurla and Mira Road stations. They collected signatures of the commuters who demanded punishment for the culprits. “Many people were very angry and wanted the culprits to be hanged. Some people were disheartened, and were afraid that the culprits will be let off scot-free,” said Shehriyar Ansari, a student of Dr MIJ Tibbia College, Versova, and one of the organisers.

In the Kathua case, an eight-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir. In the Unnao case, a BJP lawmaker is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl from Unnao, Uttar Pradesh.