Kathua rape case: BJP leader's kin 'insulted' Mehbooba Mufti; FIR filed

Earlier on Sunday BJP leader Lal Singh led a rally from Lakhanpur to Hiranagar in Kathua district, he walked barefoot for almost five-hours to demand a CBI probe in Kathua rape and murder case

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister in the Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir government, Lal Singh's brother was booked after a video of him using 'derogatory' language against chief minister Mehbooba Mufti went viral.

The 26-second video clip purportedly shot during the 'Dogri Swabhiman' rally shows Choudhary Rajinder Singh, younger brother of Lal Singh, atop a vehicle and using abusive language against the chief minister, reported PTI

Earlier on Sunday, Lal Singh took out a rally on to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua district. Singh walked barefoot for around five hours after which he got in a vehicle as he developed blisters on his feet.   

BJP leaders Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga had found themselves in a controversy after they took part in a rally organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch in January in support of the accused in the case, following which they had to resign from the Mehbooba Mufti Cabinet.

Meanwhile, a report by the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) has revealed that the signatures of Vishal Jangotra, who is a key accused in the Kathua rape and murder case, at his examination centre in Meerut were forged.  

Jangotra had claimed that he was writing his exams in Meerut when the rape incident had allegedly taken place in January. 

Here are the top developments in the Kathua rape and murder case:

1. BJP leader's brother booked for 'derogatory' remarks against JK CM: An FIR was today registered against the brother of senior BJP leader Lal Singh after a video showing him using derogatory language against Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during a rally in Kathua went viral.

A case under section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of Ranbir Penal Code and Section 66A of the Information Technology Act was registered against Singh's brother, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, Shridhar Patil told PTI.

He said the police has started the investigation in the case.

Singh, former state minister, had on Sunday led a massive rally from Lakhanpur to Hiranagar in Kathua district to press for CBI probe into the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in January.

The 26-second video clip purportedly shot during the 'Dogri Swabhiman' rally shows Choudhary Rajinder Singh, younger brother of Lal Singh, atop a vehicle and using abusive language against the chief minister.

A group of people on foot can be seen enjoying and clapping in the video as the rally moves.

2. Omar Abdullah lashes out at BJP's leader's brother: Former chief minister and opposition National Conference working president Omar Abdullah reacted sharply to the footage and demanded registration of FIR against the BJP leader's brother.

"This is absolutely unacceptable language used against @MehboobaMufti and is unequivocally condemned with the request that @JmuKmrPolice file a FIR against this abusive individual," he wrote on Twitter.

This is absolutely unacceptable language used against @MehboobaMufti & is unequivocally condemned with the request that @JmuKmrPolice file a FIR against this abusive individual. https://t.co/kACnyOpeo7

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 21, 2018

3. BJP leader leads rally for CBI probe into Kathua rape-murder case: Former minister and senior BJP leader Lal Singh led a massive rally from Lakhanpur to Hiranagar in Kathua district on Sunday to press for a CBI investigation into the Kathua rape-murder case. Pressing his demand, Singh walked barefoot for almost five hours.  

Singh, along with Ganga, had to resign from the Mufti-led J&K government after they were surrounded by controversy for participating in a rally organised in support of the eight accused in the case. 

4. Rally comes after candle-light march on May 15: Since his resignation from the government, Lal Singh has organised several candle-light marches, protests, and rallies demanding a CBI probe into the Kathua case. This recent rally comes after a candlelight march that Singh had taken out from Gandhi Nagar to Satwari Chowk on May 15.

5. 'Signatures forged to create false alibi': One of the accused in the Kathua rape and murder case, Vishal Jangotra, had forged signatures on an exam attendance sheet that "he had signed" in Meerut, forensic evidence received by the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch revealed on Sunday. 

Vishal had claimed that he was in Meerut, where he was appearing for exams, when the rape of the eight-year-old girl had allegedly taken place in January. 

The Crime Branch had been claiming that Vishal's signatures had been forged by his friends to create a false alibi.

6. PM Modi's J&K visit a damp squib, says JKNPP: Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were left disappointed after the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua district, among other issues, did not find mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address during his visit to the state. 

7. J&K Guv clears ordinance advocating death for rape of girls below 12: Following the footsteps of states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra on Thursday approved an ordinance proposing the death penalty for those convicted of raping a girl below 12 years of age. 

8. SC allows J&K to file status report on Kathua rape-murder case: A Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A M Khanwilkar, and Justice D Y Chandrachud allowed the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch to file a status report into the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl.   

9. SC allows relatives to accompany students during questioning: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the three friends of Vishal Jangotra to be accompanied by their relatives during further investigation by the Jammu and Kashmir police. The three friends have been made witnesses in the case.      

However, the apex court rejected the plea for videography in the questioning of the three witnesses.    

With agency inputs