Tension grows in Jammu,rein in lumpen elements: Guv tells CM

Jammu, Apr 17: Governor N N Vohra on Tuesday told the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that the lumpen elements must not be allowed to disturb law and order in the state.
“Ensure that the prosecution of the 8-year-old girl’s rape and murder case is proceeded on a day to day basis and lumpen elements must not be allowed to disturb law and order under any circumstances,” Vohra told Mehbooba during a meeting at the Raj Bhavan.
Earlier, Mehbooba called on Vohra at the Raj Bhavan, where the two discussed the Kathua rape-and-murder and other issues.
During the course of their extensive discussions, Chief Minister apprised Governor about her recent meetings and discussions at Delhi and the subsequent developments within the State.
Governor also discussed with the CM issues relating to the long-pending elections to Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats and re-iterated the need for strict accountability being enforced in the functioning of the entire administrative apparatus.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of events that unfolded after the brutal murder and rape of 8-year old Kathua girl. According to the charge sheets filed by the crime branch, the abduction, rape and killing of the Bakerwal girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area.
It lists the caretaker of ‘Devisthan’, a small temple, in a village in Kathua, as the main conspirator behind the crime.
Sanji Ram was allegedly joined by special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma, friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu, Ram’s nephew, a juvenile, and his son Vishal Jangotra alias “Shamma”.
The charge sheet also names investigating officers head constable Tilak Raj and Sub-Inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Ram and destroyed crucial evidence.
Following protests and bashing, the two BJP ministers Lal Sngh and Chander Prakash Ganga had to resign.
Police have already registered a case against lawyers for obstructing public servants from performing their duty.
On Monday, the Supreme Court of India asked J&K government to file a reply by April 27 on whether a plea to transfer the Kathua rape and murder case from the state’s courts to Chandigarh should be allowed.
The apex court was hearing a petition filed by the father of the victim, an 8-year-old-girl, who was abducted, gang-raped and murdered between January 10 and 17 in Rassana, a village in Kathua district.