Kathua gangrape is 'crime against humanity', says Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday broke silence over the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl from Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and termed the gory incident as ‘crime against humanity’.

Rahul Gandhi in his tweet asked "How can anyone protect the culprits of such evil?"

Rahul’s statement came just hours after Union Minister VK Singh expressed disappointment over the incident and said "we as humans" have failed the Kathua rape victim. However, he added that she will not be denied justice.

Earlier on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, assured that the investigation into the rape-and-murder case is on a fast track and law will not be obstructed by the irresponsible actions.

The J&K police’s Crime Branch earlier this week filed two separate chargesheets against eight accused in the case in a court at Kathua in spite of resistance by a group of local lawyers.

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The chargesheet filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police said abduction, rape and killing of the girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority community from the area.

A special team of the crime branch has made a case of conspiracy, kidnapping, wrongful confinement, gang rape, murder and destruction of evidence against eight accused, which include: Sanjhi Ram, the suspected mastermind, who is a former revenue official and local strongman; his son Vishal Kumar, a college student; Ram's 16-year-old nephew who is the juvenile, and his friend Parvesh Kumar; Special Police Officers (SPOs) of Hiranagar police station Deepak Khajuria and Surinder Kumar; Sub Inspector of Hiranagar police station Anand Dutta, who was also investigating officer in the case, and Head Constable Tilak Raj.

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The victim went missing while grazing horses in Rasana village of Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua district 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 J&K.

(With inputs from agencies)