Kathua rape and murder case: FIR registered against protesting lawyers

By Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar, Apr 10: The Jammu and Kashmir police has registered a case against the lawyers for obstructing Crime Branch from filing chargesheet in Asifa rape and murder case on Tuesday.
Director General of Police SP Vaid confirmed to The Kashmir Monitor that FIR has been registered against these lawyers. “Yes we have lodged an FIR and action will be taken against them,” he said.
On Monday, group of lawyers prevented Crime Branch (CB) of Jammu and Kashmir Police from filing charge sheet into rape-and-murder of eight year old girl Asifa Bano at Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Kathua.
Cornering government over remarks made by two BJP ministers in support of accused in Kathua rape and murder case, opposition leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that mob was emboldened by their words.
Omar’s response came in reaction to police filing FIR against the Kathua based lawyers.
Lauding police action, Omar said two BJP ministers are responsible for instigating mob, who later masqueraded as lawyers obstructing officials to file challan.
In his remark on social networking website, Twitter, Omar wrote: “While appreciating action by @JmuKmrPolice against the Kathua mob masquerading as lawyers let’s not forget the mob were emboldened by the actions/words of two BJP ministers in @MehboobaMufti’s cabinet. What about action against them?”
The two BJP ministers- Chander Prakash Ganga, who holds Industries and commerce portfolio and Chowhary Lal Singh, who hold forest and ecology portfolio in present PDP led coalition government in the state had made remarks in favor of the accused in the case, and had also demanded that the case to be shifted to CBI.