Kathua rape-murder: J&K Crime Branch team visits UP's Meerut

The Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch on Thursday said its team is in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut as part of its probe to verify an alibi offered by one of the eight accused in the Kathua rape-murder case.

The Crime Branch officials are working in tandem with local police to investigate the matter.

While the examination attendance sheet was allegedly signed by accused Vishal Jangotra's accomplices to prove his presence in Meerut during the commission of the crime, a probe by the Crime Branch revealed he was present in Rasana village in Kathua district.

Crime Branch sources said the accused were resorting to manipulation of records and creation of false evidence with the alleged connivance/assistance of his father Sanji Ram, who is the prime accused in the sensational case.

"Three persons who signed the attendance sheet to falsely prove Vishal's presence in Meerut are wanted by Crime Branch officials," sources said.

The sources said these three persons are in judicial custody after their arrest by Meerut police in a question paper leak case.

Vishal is accused of raping and murdering the eight-year-old nomad girl in Kathua in January along with a juvenile, the main accused and a relative of Sanji Ram, in addition to Special Police Officer Deepak Khajuria.

The Crime Branch has seized some more documents and sent these to the Questioner of Examined Documents' in Delhi for verifying the handwriting samples.

A report from the Central Forensic and Scientific Laboratory on CCTV tapes seized from the examination centre was also expected soon, the officials said, adding that a supplementary chargesheet was expected to be filed by the second week of June.

The officials suspect that some university official allowed Vishal Jangotra to write his answer sheet even after the examination was over on January 15, as his train had reached late from Jammu.

In its chargesheet, the Crime Branch had alleged some university officials allegedly received a huge sum of money from Sanji Ram.

The officials alleged that accused Vishal deliberately visited an ATM and was seen looking at the camera to create an alibi for himself.

Eight persons were charge-sheeted for the abduction, rape and murder of the girl. She was abducted on January 10 and her body found on January 17 in Rasana village of Kathua district.

On the plea of the victim's father, the Supreme Court transferred case trial to a court in Pathankot town of neighbouring Punjab.

--IANS

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