NEW DELHI: Lawyer, Deepika Singh Rajawat fighting the case for 8-year-old Asifa Bano from Kathua, Jammu, says the fight is for her five years old daughter too.
Speaking to news channels, 38-year-old Rajawat, who is the chairperson of an NGO called ‘Voice For Rights’ working for underprivileged women and children, said,
“I am not scared, but I am not feeling safe either. Protesters (lawyers) are trying to put pressure on me so that I don’t fight for justice. But I will continue to fight Asifa’s case. I have full faith in the police investigation.”
“I am not a Jammu Bar member. Knowing it well, Jammu Bar Association President BS Salathia tried to stop me andopenly extended threats; he also used abusive language.”
Deepika, an activist-lawyer from Jammu has to guard her own life to fight for justice. She approached the Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court for additional security.
“The court has issued direction to the security wing of the J&K Police to ensure that I remain safe.”
An eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted, drugged, raped, tortured and killed in January. The victim belonged to a nomadic Muslim tribe in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. After being missing for a week, her body was found on January 17.
A special team of the crime branch has made a case of conspiracy, kidnapping, wrongful confinement, gang rape, murder and destruction of evidence against eight accused, which include: Sanjhi Ram, the suspected mastermind, who is a former revenue official and local strongman; his son Vishal Kumar, a college student; Ram’s 16-year-old nephew who is the juvenile, and his friend Parvesh Kumar; Special Police Officers (SPOs) of Hiranagar police station Deepak Khajuria and Surinder Kumar; Sub Inspector of Hiranagar police station Anand Dutta, who was also investigating officer in the case, and Head Constable Tilak Raj.