Protests continue over minor’s rape, another case reported

Rifat Mohidin
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, May 14

While the Valley continued to be on the boil for the third consecutive day over the rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora, another rape case was reported on Tuesday.

A minor was reportedly raped in Ganderbal by a resident of the same district, triggering further outrage.

Ganderbal Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abdul Gani Poswal said the accused had been arrested after the family of the victim filed a complaint.

“The incident happened on Sunday evening and the accused was arrested on the same day. As part of the investigation, the victim has been medically examined. The victim is 15-year-old and the accused is in his 20s. A special team has been constituted for fast-track investigation into the case. The accused will be produced before the court,” the Ganderbal SSP said.

On Tuesday, the administration had ordered the closure of schools and colleges in district Ganderbal and Anantnag to prevent violence from spreading but clashes continued outside education institutions in Srinagar city.

Clashes were reported from outside Amar Singh College and Bemina Degree College in Srinagar, where forces had to use tear gas shells to disperse the demonstrators. Traffic was hampered for hours as the youth clashed with the forces stationed outside the college gates. Protests were also witnessed at the University of Kashmir, where students rallied in support of the victim.

“The investigation is going on and after a week, we will be able to share more details with the public,” Bandipora SSP Rahul Malik said.

Another official from Bandipora said they were waiting for the forensic report of the victim. While the Valley continued to be on the edge over the incident that took place on May 9, Governor Satya Pal Malik has promised justice to the victim.

Meanwhile, residents feared that there was an attempt to create a sectarian divide in the Valley, even as authorities continued to appeal for maintaining calm and harmony.

On Monday, over 50 people, including 47 security personnel, were injured in clashes on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway as protesters damaged dozens of vehicles, blocked the highway and pelted the security personnel with stones. Commuters were stuck on the highway for hours. Residents of north Kashmir said the traffic on the highway continued to be affected for the fourth consecutive day as protesters refused to calm down.

Students vent ire

On Tuesday, clashes were reported from outside Amar Singh College and Bemina Degree College in Srinagar, where forces had to use teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators. Traffic was hampered for hours as the youth clashed with the forces stationed outside the college. Protests were also witnessed at the University of Kashmir, where students rallied in support of the victim.