Kathua case: Accused was not in Meerut, handwriting tests claim

The crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir have carried out scientific tests to support its probe that Vishal Jangotra, an accused in the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Kathua, was not in Meerut when the crime took place in January.

The charges of rape and murder of the girl were framed by the district and sessions court in Pathankot against Vishal, who is pursuing a bachelors degree in agriculture from a college in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district, and his juvenile cousin, his father Sanji Ram, and special police officer Deepak Khajuria alias Deepu.

It is alleged in the charge sheet that Vishal, accused of raping the girl, had tried to create an alibi of his absence from the crime scene by allegedly "resorting to manipulation of records and creation of false evidence with the connivance and assistance of his father".

According to the charge sheet filed by the crime branch, the answer sheets as well as attendance sheet of Vishal, son of alleged main accused Sanji Ram, were sent to handwriting experts, also known as Questioners of Examined Documents (QED).

"The opinion given by the expert has inter alia revealed that the first name (Vishal) could not be connected with his usual signatures on the attendance sheets dated January 12 and 15," it said.

The girl was kidnapped on January 10 and subsequently killed on January 13 night. Her body was dumped by Vishal, his juvenile cousin and Khajuria on January 14 after which he took a train for Meerut. The body of the victim was recovered on January 17.

The handwriting experts also opined that the surname of accused (Jangotra) "could have been anachronistically added on the attendance sheets of January 12 and 15."