Kathua gangrape: Locals reiterate demand for CBI probe

Kathua, October 23

A day after the Jammu City court ordered registration of an FIR against six members of the special investigation team (SIT) of the Crime Branch involved in probing the Kathua case, residents of the Kandi belt of Hiranagar reiterated their demand of a fresh probe to ‘expose’ the ‘real’ culprits involved in committing the heinous crime.

On Tuesday, the court had directed the SSP of Jammu to register an FIR against the SIT members for allegedly torturing and coercing witnesses to give false statements against Vishal Jangotra, who has been acquitted by the Pathankot court in the case.

“The court’s direction has substantiated the allegations that the Crime Branch had adopted illegal means to fabricate some innocents in the case,” Ranjana Sharma, sarpanch of Kootah panchayat, said.

“The court order to register an FIR against the Crime Branch team vindicates our demand to hand over the case to the CBI. A CBI probe is the only way to solve the untold myths of this crime,” she said. — OC