Jammu: Over 70 activists of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) were detained today ahead of a rally to press for a CBI probe into the killing of an eight-year-old girl.
Police said that they have been detained as a precautionery measure and put up in Hiranagar Police station in Kathua district .
“We were heading towards Chadwal in Kathua district to support the Ekta Munch rally in support of the demand for CBI probe. But we were arrested,” Mankotia told PTI.
The body of the eight-year-old girl was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she had gone missing while grazing horses.
On January 23, the government handed over the case to the state police’s crime branch which arrested a Special Police Officer (SPO) in February for his alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of the girl.
Earlier, a special investigation team (SIT) had arrested a 15-year-old boy and claimed the accused had strangulated the victim after she resisted his rape attempt.
Talking to reporters, Mankotia said that people of entire Jammu province are demanding CBI probe into girl’s murder case.
“These crime Branch officers have harassed Hindus in the area in the name of probe, resulting in large migration of Hindus from the areas last week.
It cannot be tolerated. We all want probe by CBI to arrest and punish the culprits,” he said.
On February 28, 0ver 200 men, women and children blocked the road in front of the Hiranagar Police station as a protest against the PDP-BJP government alleging harassment and mass detentions by the Crime Branch.
PTI