Kathua crime: 18 days later, medical report shared with no one

Srinagar, Feb 03: Eighteen days after the murder of Kathua minor girl, the victim family is yet to receive the medical report with investigating agencies maintaining silence over the matter.

The 8-year-old girl, Asifa, was abducted on January 10 and after two days an FIR was registered by the police. Then, after seven days, the girl was found dead in nearby forests of Rasana are of Hiranagar in Kathua district on January 17.

The family of the girl alleged that their daughter was raped before her murder. Although the post mortem was conducted, the family has not received the report so far. “ On February 1^st  we approached the Kathua police station to know about the medical reports but the police officials refused to provide any information regarding it,” said Ali Jan, uncle of Asifa.

“We have asked the police to know about the awaited medical reports and the case. But they are delaying it. They told us that the family will be given all the reports at appropriate time. But we want to know what is in medical reports. We want the real culprits to be punished,” said Jan.

On Friday, National Conference (NC) working president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah raised Asifa’s issue in Legislative Assembly and said that why medical report of a minor girl who was murdered in Kathua has not come to fore. “Kathua incident was a shock but unfortunately, no medical report has been received by the investigating agency so far. Where is the medical report,” Omar had asked the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Soon after the incident, the government ordered a magisterial probe after the opposition protested in the legislative assembly and lashed out at the police for “failing” to trace her promptly after she went missing last week.

After protests and ruckus, the case was handed over to crime branch for probe.

Alok Puri, Inspector General Of police (IGP) State Crime Branch, said that whenever it (medical report) is required they will release a statement regarding it. “We cannot reveal anything about the case. In fact we even can’t say whether we have received the medical report or not,” he said.

Peerzada Naveed, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), State Crime Branch who is heading the case said that that the department would reveal the information of medical reports at appropriate time.

However, Advocate Talib Hussain, a social activist who is fighting for the justice of Asifa said the       rape of minor girl would be established only after receiving the medical report. “But the investigating agencies, police and hospital authorities did not reveal the report and continue to stay mum over it,” he said.

Hussain said that they approached the concerned doctor and asked him to handover the medical report of Asifa to them but, “he refused to hand over it without the permission of police”

“After the doctor’s refusal, we approached the SSP Kathua but he also stopped us from accessing the medical reports. We don’t understand why not the officials are revealing it. They are clearly trying to cover up the case,” he said.

 Suleman Choudhary, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kathua, said that the case has been transferred to the crime branch and he cannot say anything about this issue and the medical reports.