The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has taken the drastic step of transferring the investigation into the death of a 13-year-old girl to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The court delivered a scathing critique of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, accusing it of showing "no serious-minded effort" to determine if the minor died by suicide or was a victim of rape and murder.
A Father's Fight for Justice
The case pertains to the tragic discovery of the girl's body, found hanging from a tree in the Gharota area of Jammu on August 15. Hearing a petition filed by her father, Mukhtyar Ali, who alleged severe laxity and flaws in the police probe into the alleged rape and murder, Justice Rahul Bharti oversaw the proceedings. The court noted with dismay that the SIT had assigned the sensitive case to a probationary sub-inspector, leading to what it termed a "perfunctory, routine and directionless" investigation.
Shocking Lapses in Police Probe
The High Court's order detailed multiple, serious failures in the police investigation. The first status report filed by the Akhnoor Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) on October 31 was dismissed as a mere two-page 'ritualistic exercise'. Astonishingly, this report shifted the onus onto the grieving father to explain the investigation's flaws instead of addressing them. In a grave violation of legal safeguards meant to protect the identity of minors, the report even disclosed the deceased child's name.
Further compounding the negligence, the court observed that no executive magistrate was involved in the inquest proceedings, as is mandatorily required by law. The SIT's progress was found to be stagnant, with the court noting that even in a second status report submitted on November 24, the investigation remained essentially 'at the same page' with no substantive headway.
Court's Directive and Path Forward
Frustrated by the lack of progress and the apparent insensitivity in handling the case, the High Court, on Thursday, ordered the handover of the entire investigation to the CBI. This decision underscores a severe loss of confidence in the local police's ability to conduct a fair and thorough inquiry. The court's intervention highlights the critical need for accountability and a rigorous, impartial investigation to deliver justice for the 13-year-old victim and her family, who have been awaiting answers for months.
The transfer to the central agency is now seen as a pivotal moment in the case, offering a renewed hope for a conclusive finding on the circumstances that led to the young girl's untimely death in Gharota.
