Uttarkashi rape case: Cong demands immediate arrest of accused, threatens stir

The Congress in Uttarakhand today demanded immediate arrest of the culprits in the alleged gangrape and killing of a minor girl in Uttarkashi district and threatened to hit the streets in protest if they were not brought to justice within a week.

The party also demanded an assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the victim's family.

"If the culprits are not brought to book within a week, the Congress will be forced to agitate in the streets for justice," Singh said in a statement here.

He also wrote a letter to Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, asking him to ensure that verification of antecedents of people coming from outside the state in search of work in the hill areas is made mandatory.

Referring to the Kathua rape case in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said criminals appeared to be having no fear of the law in Uttarakhand.

An 11-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped and killed after being kidnapped from her home in Uttarkashi district on August 17.

Uttarkashi has witnessed a wave of protests ever since the girl's body was found on a bridge near the village on Saturday with the markets in Chinyalisaur and Uttarkashi remaining closed today.

Priests and businessmen at the famous Gangotri shrine also kept their activities suspended till 1 pm as a token of protest, a report from Uttarkashi said.

Angry residents had blocked the Gangotri national highway for hours on Sunday.

However, IG Garhwal Sanjay Gunjyal said he was confident that the culprits will soon be caught.