Hearing in Kathua rape and murder case adjourned for July 18

Hearing in the plea seeking death penalty in the Kathua rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Kathua case at Punjab and Haryana High Court has been adjourned for Thursday, advocate Utsav Bains, the lawyer of the victim's family said on Wednesday.

"Today we filed the appeal for death sentence in the Kathua rape and murder case. The court listed the matter with a bunch of other matters for tomorrow, the judge himself said it is a serious case," Bains told ANI here.

Talking about the plea filed by the victim's family he said, "We think justice has not been delivered to the victim. We have appealed for a death sentence on behalf of the victim's father. Life imprisonment is not enough, rape and murder comes under 'rarest of rare' case, therefore in the Kathua case a death sentence must be given."

Over a year after the gruesome rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir that caused nationwide outrage, a Pathankot court had convicted mastermind Sanjhi Ram and two others for murder, gangrape and conspiracy and sentenced them to life imprisonment while three police officials were found guilty of destroying evidence and given five-year jail terms.

The District and Sessions judge had pronounced the three main accused--Sanji Ram, Parvesh Kumar and Deepak Khajuria--guilty and convicted them under Sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 376 (d) (gang rape), 328 (Causing hurt by means of poison), 363 (Kidnapping or maiming a minor), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 343 (Wrongful confinement for three or more days) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).

Police officials Anand Dutt, Sub Inspector, Tilak Raj (Head Constable) and Surender Verma, Special Police Officer, have been sentenced to five years in jail under section 201 of RPC for causing destruction of evidence. They have also been directed to pay Rs 20,000 each.

Bains added Vishal, Sanji Ram's son who had been acquitted by the Pathankot court too should be punished.

"I read the case, chargesheet, trial court judgement and other things related to the case. I feel the alibi given by Vishal Jangotra is not right, he is also a part of the incident according to the witness statements and therefore should be held guilty," Bains said.