JAMMU: Massive protests erupted at Ramsoo on Srinagar-Jammu highway against the rape of a minor Muslim girl.
Leaders of religious organizations, social activists and members of several NGOs held separate protests in the district office complex against the rape of the girl. The girl who is three months into her pregnancy is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jammu, said a protester. He said the matter came to light after the girl became sick a few days ago. “She was shifted to a hospital where doctors told the parents about her pregnancy.”
While addressing the protesters, social activist-turned politician, Advocate Choudhary Talib Hussain, said, “I have been informed by the people that some police officers, posted in Ramban district, are trying to hush up the matter. They (police officers) are trying to protect some of the accused by pressurizing the investigation team.”
The protesters threatened that they would go to “any extent to get justice” for the 13-year-old girl from Varnal Sarbagni. “The innocent child was gang raped multiple times by the five accused. The girl and her parents have already identified all the accused, but only one accused has been arrested by the police. How is this justified?” they asked. Members from Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Alliance (JKPA) also held a protest demonstration against Ramsoo rape here at Press Colony. Scores of youth including females from JKPA raised slogans against RSS and BJP alleging that “backing by such parties has encouraged people to make the minors a prey.”
“Parties like BJP, RSS and likes of them have been given a free hand to goons which is encouraging them resulting in repetition of such events,” said a youth leader, Fazil Ahmed.
The protesters said that “three months back some people who are encouraged by right wing parties raped minor girl and when she got pregnant she was forcefully made to abort the baby.”
It is pertinent to mention here that another 13-year-old nomadic girl was raped around 8 months ago and a case was registered at Ramsoo police station.
Besides her, an 8-year-old Muslim girl, Aasifa, was abducted, raped and ruthlessly killed by the Hindu religious men and a Hindu police officer in January 2018 in Kathua district of Jammu region.