Kathua rape case: SC stays proceedings at Sessions Court

The Supreme Court on Friday imposed stay on proceedings at the trial court in Kathua rape and murder case. The SC bench sets the date for next hearing on 7th May. The apex Court on Thursday said it would shift the Kathua gang rape and murder trial out of Jammu and Kashmir at the slightest possibility of a fair trial not taking place.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said its real concern was to see to it that a fair trial was conducted and it was fair to the victim's family and the accused. A Bar Council of India (BCI) Committee filed a report in a sealed cover before the bench and supported the demand of the High Court Bar Association at J&K the Kathua District Court Bar Association for a CBI probe into the case. The minor girl, who belonged to a nomadic Muslim tribe, was allegedly abducted, drugged, gang-raped, tortured and killed in January.

In the wake of the incident, President Ram Nath Kovind, on April 22, promulgated the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, for effective deterrence against the commission of rape. The ordinance seeks the death penalty for the rapists of girls below 12 years of age and stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years, thereby strengthening the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.