This conference brought together leading orthopedic experts to address the key challenges and advancements in orthopedics and sports medicine
kt network2 hours ago
A Special Court in Pathankot on Monday (June 10) convicted six people for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua last year. It pronounced a life imprisonment of 25 years to three-temple priest and mastermind Sanji Ram, Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar.
Investigating officers Raj and Dutta, and Special Police Officer Surinder Kumar were sentenced to five years in jail for destroying crucial evidence in the case.
Sanji Ram's son Vishal was acquitted due to lack of evidence, but the fate of his minor nephew, the eight accused in the case, will be decided by the juvenile court.
His trial is yet to begin as a petition to determine his age is awaiting judgment in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
Pathankot District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh announced the verdict in an open court. The in-camera trial in the case ended on June 3.
All the six accused can move the High Court against the trial court verdict within one month.
Families of the convicted, who were present in the court in Pathankot, some 100 kms from Jammu and 30 kms from Kathua, accused the media for the verdict. "This is a bad judgment and we are going to challenge it in appropriate court," said a defence counsel.
Elaborate security arrangements had been made at the trial court for the verdict because of the high-profile nature of the case.
According to the charge sheet, the girl, who belonged to a nomadic tribe, was kidnapped and held captive at a village temple in Kathua district on January 10, 2018.
The 15-page charge sheet against the accused said that the eight-year-old girl was starved, sedated and repeatedly raped in captivity over the next four days before being bludgeoned to death.
Her mutilated body was found in a forest on January 17. Three days later, one of the accused-reportedly a juvenile-was arrested by the police, the charge sheet said.
The abduction, rape and killing of the child were part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area, it added.
The case sparked outrage across the state, forcing the government to hand over the case to the Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The case constrained relations between the then ruling coalition partners, the PDP and the BJP after two ministers of the latter, Chowdhury Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, participated in a rally organised in support of the arrested accused.
The Supreme Court later ordered that the case be shifted out of Jammu and Kashmir and be heard on a daily basis by the trial court in Punjab's Pathankot.
Hailing the judgment, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted: "Relieved about the Kathua verdict. Credit goes to the Crime Branch team for ensuring facts came to light despite hindrances. People all across too galvanised support & stood up for this child."
This conference brought together leading orthopedic experts to address the key challenges and advancements in orthopedics and sports medicine
kt network2 hours ago
Addressing the affordability challenge faced by providers is paramount in combating financial exclusion
business2 hours ago
He faced a serious condition called Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity and spent nearly three months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
health2 hours ago
71% of retail investors in the UAE hold stocks in companies engaged with AI
markets2 hours ago
This decision was taken to preserve the safety of administrative staff, teachers and students
uae3 hours ago
Abu Dhabi Police has been promoting the safety of motorcycle riders by holding workshops focused on improving traffic awareness
uae3 hours ago
The high-profile event brought together global philanthropic and business leaders to explore the untapped potential of philanthropic capital in accelerating development and humanitarian efforts
kt network3 hours ago
Many employees were told to report to office during the unprecedented rain and storm of April 16-17
uae3 hours ago