Jammu and Kashmir: Two minor girls ‘raped’ in Udhampur sparks outrage and calls for justice | Crime News

According to police, the girls, who were returning home from a school trip, were attacked and abused by the accused in the forest on Friday evening.

A representational image

New Delhi: In a disturbing incident in the Panchound forest area of ​​Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, two minor girls aged 16 and 17 were reportedly raped by assailants Dalip Kumar and Ravinder Kumar.

According to police, the girls, who were returning home from a school picnic, were attacked and abused by the accused in the forest on Friday evening. “The girls, aged 16 and 17, were on their way home from a school picnic when they were attacked by the accused, who allegedly raped them in a forest on Friday evening,” said a police spokesman.

The next morning, they were found unconscious by the authorities and were immediately rushed to a hospital in Ramnagar. “The girls lay unconscious in the forest area all night and were recovered by the police on Saturday morning after receiving information,” he added.

The police reacted promptly, registered a case under existing laws and launched a thorough investigation into the heinous crime. Although the accused tried to evade arrest, special police units managed to arrest them, thus ensuring accountability and justice for the victims, the police spokesman said.

This tragic incident brings back haunting memories of the Kathua case in 2018, where the brutal abduction, rape and murder of eight-year-old Asifa shocked the nation.

The girl belonged to a nomadic Muslim tribe in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. Her body was found on January 17, 2018, after she was missing for seven days. According to the CID report, the girl was raped and murdered to instill fear among the Gujjar community members to leave the area.

A court brought the culprits to justice and sentenced three men to life imprisonment in 2019 for the kidnapping, rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl. The case had sparked uproar across the country and fueled tensions between Hindus and Muslims. Three others were convicted of destroying evidence and sentenced to five years in prison and a fine.