Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 13: In a major embarrassment for the ruling BJP, the J&K police has decided to give awards to Crime Branch officials who are investigating the Kathua rape and murder case.
The ruling alliance partners, PDP and BJP, are divided over the case. The BJP has been seeking transfer of the case to the CBI and has questioned the Crime Branch investigation.
DGP S P Vaid said they will award Crime Branch officials who conducted the investigation into the case "in a professional manner".
"Jammu and Kashmir police is a professional organization. The Crime Branch officials who conducted the investigation into the Kathua incident will be rewarded," Vaid told a national news channel.
"The court has to take the decision now. We made all efforts to gather the evidences," he said.
This seems a major embarrassment for the BJP as it leaders have questioned the Crime Branch investigations.
Accompanied by BJP MLAs Rajeev Jasrotia and Kuldip Raj, representing Kathua and Hiranagar constituencies, the BJP ministers Lal Singh and Chandra Prakash, while attending Hindu Ekta Manch rally had criticized the state government for handing over the case to the Crime Branch.
"What enquiry they will do? First, the police was investigating the case, then SIT was formed, after magisterial probe, and now Crime Branch is probing the case. What is government doing we fail to understand? The case should be referred to the CBI," Prakash had said.
"We will not allow this jungle raj, under which they (police) are picking up people at will, to continue. What kind of investigation are they doing? Singh had said, while participating in Hindu Ekta Manch rally.
The Crime Branch has constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the Kathua incident.
The SIT team was formed by the government in January this year. It was headed by Additional Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Kashmir Peerzada Naveed. The other members included Nisar Hussain DSP, Crime Branch, Jammu, Shetambari Sharma DSP, Crime Branch Jammu, Urfan Wani, SI Crime Branch Jammu and ASI Tariq Ahmed.
The SIT works under the overall supervision of SSP Crime Branch, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar Jalla.
The Crime Branch submitted the charge sheet on Tuesday, after hectic efforts as the investigating agency was prevented by the Kathua lawyers from submitting it before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kathua.
The Jammu lawyers have been on the strike and are scheduled to chalk out the future strategy on April 17. |
