Group of women demands CBI probe into Kathua rape-and-murder case

A group of five women submitted a "factual" report on the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.

The five women are retired judge Meera Khadakkar, Supreme Court advocate Monika Arora, Delhi University professor Sonali Chaitalkar, social activist Monicca Agarwaal and journalist Sarjana Sharma.

The report claimed that the charge sheet filed by the Jammu and Kashmir crime branch in the case had discrepancies and the investigation was "botched-up".

The women, who call themselves a Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA), said they had met more than 25 people including the victim's family, the family members of the accused, and some influential people from the nomadic community to which the girl belonged.

During their stay in Jammu and Kashmir, they had called on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The crime branch has arrested eight people including a juvenile for raping and murdering of the eight-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped on January 10.

The charge sheet claimed the kidnapping of the girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the nomadic community from the area.