Kishtwar|December 28: On 04-12-2017, a minor girl Manju Devi (name changed) of village Leondi Padder and a student of 10th class was enticed by her teacher namely Surinder Kumar Sharma S/O Bal Krishan Sharma R/O village Leondi Padder, Tehsil Padder & District Kishtwar and with the criminal intention was taken to Gulabgarh Padder and thereafter to Bhaderwah and then back to Kishtwar. The teacher committed the rape on his minor student repeatedly in Kishtwar town. The teacher hired a hotel room in Hotel Prince Guest House near Bus Stand Kishtwar. Thereafter, she was shifted in Ashiyana Guest House near Bus Stand Kishtwar and repeatedly raped by her teacher. In the Ashiyana Guest House, the accused called one of his friend namely Raj Dev Thakur S/O Kunj Lal R/O village Shityan Gowari, Padder Tehsil Padder & District Kishtwar. Thereafter, both the accused committed the rape on minor student one after the other. After committing the heinous crime for days together by both the accused, the victim was then shifted to Padiyarna area and then she was abandoned near the house of her maternal aunt. The feeble victim somehow reached her home place next day and narrated the whole story to her parents. The matter got leaked out to the local Panchayat, the local Ex-Sarpanch and the influential member of the Panchayat arranged the Khap Panchayat and tried to hush up the matter.
The so called respectables of the Panchayat tried to settle the matter by means of give and take and by forcing the marriage of the victim with the accused.
In the meantime, the Senior Superintendent of Police Kishtwar Abrar Chowdhary received the information through his own sources and immediately directed the SHO Police Station Atholi, Padder, Dy SP Probation Mohd. Rafi Rather to intervene and register FIR under relevant provisions of law. The Police registered the FIR No. 30/2017 U/S 363, 376, 506, 109 RPC in P/S Atholi, Padder and started the investigations.
While briefing the media at Kishtwar the Senior Superintendent of Police Kishtwar Abrar Chowdhary said, the accused on knowing of the registration of FIR forthwith went underground. The Police constituted several special teams to arrest the culprits. Since the whole area is highly remote and mountainous with the added disadvantage of unavaialablity road and mobile connectivity, police faced a lot of difficulty to locate and arrest the accused. Finally, on 27-12-2017 police parties led by Dy SP Probationer Mohd. Rafi Rather and SDPO Atholi Rajinder Singh arrested the main accused Surinder Kumar Sharma S/O Bal Krishan R/O village Leondi, Tehsil Padder & District Kishtwar, teacher Govt. Primary School Leondi,Padder, said the SSP Kishtwar.
During the period of absconding the accused sent several threats to the victim and the parents of the victim through the Ex-Sarpanch and influential members of the Panchayat. The Police also took the cognizance of the same and the victim and her family have been guarded through Anti-Militancy Pickets. The Police is also investigating the role of Ex-Sarpanch and so- called respectables of Panchayat in sheltering the criminal and hushing up the crime of henious nature. The police has got specific clues for the arrest of the second accused in the case Raj Dev. The Police teams are hopeful to arrest him also within shortest time, informed the SSP.
The victim of rape also narrated that her teacher enticed her on the pretext of taking her to Gulabgarh and Kishtwar for arranging advanced tuitions for her during winter break. His criminal intentions were not known to her and trusting the high institution of student-teacher relationship she agreed to come. However, while being out of her home place she somehow sensed the intentions of the accused and tried to escape but she was threatened to keep silence and was overpowered. Being minor and helpless she was unable to resist her teacher, said Mr. Chowdhary.
The Police is also looking into the role of the management of Hotel and Ashiyana Guest House at Bus Stand Kishtwar for harboring and housing the criminal of this heinous crime. The victim of the crime has also narrated before the police that she informed the management of the Guest House and hotel for help but they prefered to stick to their business and ignored her request instead.
The police has got the statement of the victim recorded before the magisterate under section 164 of Cr PC and after which she stands restored to her parents, informed the SSP Kishtwar.