K Koushal
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: Septuagenarian who is alleged kingpin and mastermind of rape and murder of 8 year-old Asifa has surrendered before the Crime Branch which is investigating the case.
He surrendered soon after his son was arrested by the Crime Branch from Meerut Uttar Pradesh. The alleged accused Sanji Ram, retired revenue official who was evading arrest after his involvement surfaced in the case today surrendered before the Crime Branch, sources said. Pertinently, Asifa Bano, an eight-year-old nomad girl, was abducted, raped and murdered in Hiranagar area of Kathua district on January 10 and her body was spotted by villagers in a cattle shed in nearby forest on January 17. Sources said Sanji Ram, surrendered before Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Crime Branch Jammu. Sanji's son Vishal was arrested the previous day from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh where he is perusing his studies.
Sources said that questioning of the accused revealed that Sanji Ram had engineered the whole plan. "Sanji Ram is the architect of kidnapping and murder of deceased and he committed heinous crime to oust nomads from the village", said sources. After his name surfaced during the investigation, Sanji Ram went underground and surrendered after his son was arrested by the Crime Branch. Till date, the Crime Branch has arrested a Sub-Inspector, a Head Constable, two Special Police Officers (SPOs) including the main accused, among seven people in the case. On January 23, the state government handed over the case to the state police's crime branch which which formed an SIT and arrested six people, including two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destruction of evidence. One of the arrested persons, who was said to be a juvenile, was subjected to medical examination at government medical college here on March 7 which opined that he was over 19-year-old.
The crime branch submitted a detailed status report to the High Court on March 9 which is monitoring the case.
The case has divided the ruling coalition partners, PDP and BJP, over the demand of a section of people to hand over the case to the CBI for a thorough investigation.
On March 8, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti rejected the demand of BJP for a CBI investigation into the case saying 95 per cent of the probe has been completed.
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